🔊 Voiced Sounds → /z/
When a word ends with a voiced sound, add the sound /z/.
- reads → /riːdz/
- plays → /pleɪz/
- runs → /rʌnz/
🔇 Voiceless Sounds → /s/
When a word ends with a voiceless sound, add the sound /s/.
- works → /wɜːrks/
- helps → /helps/
- takes → /teɪks/
➕ Extra Syllable → /əz/ or /ɪz/
When a word ends with any of the following letters: s, z, sh, ch, or j, the -es is pronounced as a separate syllable /əz/ or /ɪz/.
- reach•es → /riːtʃəz/
- buzz•es → /bʌzəz/
- wash•es → /wɒʃəz/
- catch•es → /kætʃəz/
➕ After s, z, sh, ch, j → /əz/ or /ɪz/
When a word ends with any of the following letters: s, z, sh, ch, or j, the -'s is pronounced as a separate syllable /əz/ or /ɪz/.
- Luis•'s → /luːɪsəz/
- James•'s → /dʒeɪməz/
Note: Names ending in the letter s may be used with just an apostrophe and no extra syllable, for example James'.
🔊 After Voiced Sounds → /z/
When a word ends with a voiced sound, add the sound /z/.
- Ashley's → /æʃliz/
- John's → /dʒɑːnz/
🔇 After Voiceless Sounds → /s/
When a word ends with a voiceless sound, add the sound /s/.
- Jack's → /dʒæks/
- Beth's → /beθs/
🔊 After Voiced Consonants → /d/
When a word ends with any of the following letters: b, g, ge, l, m, n, ng, th, r, v, or z, the -ed or -d is pronounced as /d/, not a separate syllable.
- curbed → /kɜːrbd/
- lagged → /lægd/
- charged → /tʃɑːrdʒd/
- pulled → /pʊld/
- tamed → /teɪmd/
- earned → /ɜːrnd/
- bathed → /beɪðd/
- fired → /faɪərd/
- realized → /riːəlaɪzd/
- used → /juːzd/
- lived → /lɪvd/
- longed → /lɔːŋd/
🔇 After Voiceless Consonants → /t/
When a word ends with any one of the following letters: f, k, p, s, ch, or sh, the -ed or -d is pronounced as /t/, not a separate syllable.
- puffed → /pʌft/
- quaffed → /kwæft/
- liked → /laɪkt/
- raked → /reɪkt/
- pumped → /pʌmpt/
- shipped → /ʃɪpt/
- missed → /mɪst/
- passed → /pæst/
- watched → /wɑːtʃt/
- reached → /riːtʃt/
- washed → /wɑːʃt/
- blushed → /blʌʃt/
➕ After /d/ or /t/ Sounds → /ɪd/ or /əd/
When a word ends with a /d/ or /t/ sound, the -ed or -d is pronounced as a separate syllable /ɪd/ or /əd/.
- add•ed → /ædəd/
- need•ed → /niːdəd/
- guid•ed → /ɡaɪdəd/
- load•ed → /loʊdəd/
- exud•ed → /ɪɡzuːdəd/
- wait•ed → /weɪtəd/
- tast•ed → /teɪstəd/
- loot•ed → /luːtəd/
- attempt•ed → /ətɛmptəd/
- not•ed → /noʊtəd/