When learning to cue English, beginners can easily be influenced by spelling. One tricky aspect can be the various ways "-ed" endings are pronounced and cued. A common beginner error is to cue all words that end with -ed with the /ddddddddd/ phoneme. However, some words that end with -ed actually end with the /ttttttttt/ phoneme.
So, what’s the pattern for past tense (-ed) words?
1) If the root word ends in a voiced sound (other than /ddddddddd/), the [-ed] ending is pronounced (cued) /ddddddddd/.
| Final Consonant | Examples |
| /ʒzhzhʒzhzhʒzhzh/ | camouflaged |
| /zzzzzzzzz/ | buzzed, caused |
| /vvvvvvvvv/ | saved, served |
| /ðt͟htHðt͟htHðt͟htH/ | soothed |
| /rrrrrrrrr/ | soared, barred |
| /bbbbbbbbb/ | sobbed |
| /nnnnnnnnn/ | planned |
| /mmmmmmmmm/ | trimmed |
| /lllllllll/ | billed |
| /ggggggggg/ | bagged |
| /ʤjjʤjjʤjj/ | urged |
| /ŋngngŋngngŋngng/ | banged |
| (vowels) | played, annoyed, accrued |
Exceptions to this rule include spilt, spelt, dealt, dremt.
1) If the root word ends in /ttttttttt/ or /ddddddddd/, the [-ed] ending is pronounced (cued) /ɪĭiɪĭiɪĭiddddddddd/, /ed/, or /əəəəəəəəəddddddddd/.
| waited | knitted | voted |
| /wwwwwwwwweɪāayeɪāayeɪāayˈˈˈˈˈˈˈˈˈtttttttttɪĭiɪĭiɪĭiddddddddd/ or /wwwwwwwwweɪāayeɪāayeɪāayˈˈˈˈˈˈˈˈˈtttttttttəəəəəəəəəddddddddd/ | /nnnnnnnnnɪĭiɪĭiɪĭiˈˈˈˈˈˈˈˈˈtttttttttɪĭiɪĭiɪĭiddddddddd/ or /nnnnnnnnnɪĭiɪĭiɪĭiˈˈˈˈˈˈˈˈˈtttttttttəəəəəəəəəddddddddd/ | /vvvvvvvvvoʊōohoʊōohoʊōohˈˈˈˈˈˈˈˈˈtttttttttɪĭiɪĭiɪĭiddddddddd/ or /vvvvvvvvvoʊōohoʊōohoʊōohˈˈˈˈˈˈˈˈˈtttttttttəəəəəəəəəddddddddd/ |
Examples:
Folded worded needed
/foe, l, did/ /wur, did/ /nee, did/
Examples: bored paged called learned
/boe, r, d/ /pae, j, d/ /kaw, l, d/ /ler, n, d/
3) If the root ends in a voiceless sound other than /t/, the ending is pronounced (cued) /t/.
Examples: worked watched fished sipped
/wer, k, t/ /wah, ch, t/ /fi, sh, t/ /si, p, t/