-s and -ed Endings Pronunciation Worksheets
21 worksheets · Sounds & spelling
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-s and -ed endings worksheets
21 printable worksheets with answer keys.
About -s and -ed endings
The -s ending (plurals, third person and possessives) has three pronunciations: /s/ after voiceless sounds (cats, walks), /z/ after voiced sounds (dogs, plays) and /ɪz/ after /s/, /z/, /ʃ/, /tʃ/, /dʒ/ and /ʒ/ (buses, watches, oranges). The -ed ending also has three: /t/ after voiceless sounds (walked, washed), /d/ after voiced sounds (played, lived) and /ɪd/ after /t/ and /d/ (wanted, needed).
These rules are typically taught at A1–A2 alongside the present simple, plurals and past simple. The most common error is adding an extra syllable to every -ed verb (walk-ed), and learners also drop endings in fast speech. The rule depends on the final sound, not the final letter: fixed ends in /ks/, so -ed is /t/.
This page offers printable -s and -ed endings worksheets with answer keys, including sorting, listening and reading-aloud tasks, which you can print as PDF or complete online via a class link.
Teaching tips: -s and -ed endings
- Teach voicing first: learners touch their throat to feel whether the final sound vibrates.
- Watch for the extra syllable in words such as 'look-ed' and 'stopp-ed'; remind learners that only verbs ending in /t/ or /d/ add a syllable.
- Sort verbs into three columns by ending sound, then read the columns aloud as a chant.
- Focus on the final sound, not the spelling: laughed ends in /t/ because gh is /f/, and a voiceless sound.
Questions teachers ask
How many ways can -ed be pronounced?
Three: /t/ (worked), /d/ (cleaned) and /ɪd/ (started). Only the /ɪd/ form adds an extra syllable.
Do the same rules apply to plurals and third-person -s?
Yes. Plurals, the third person singular and the possessive 's follow the same /s/, /z/ and /ɪz/ pattern.
Why are some adjectives ending in -ed pronounced /ɪd/?
A few adjectives, such as naked, wicked, beloved and learned (meaning knowledgeable), keep an older /ɪd/ pronunciation even though the verb rule would predict otherwise.