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Expert · Clear pronunciation and listening · topic 47 of 59 · 17 min

Silent letters and -ed and -s endings

Explanation

English spelling and sound often do not match. Many words have silent letters: the k in "know", the w in "write", the b in "comb". The -ed and -s endings also change their sound: "worked" ends in a t sound, "played" in a d sound, and only words like "wanted" add an extra "id". अंग्रेज़ी में कई अक्षर लिखे जाते हैं पर बोले नहीं जाते।

In Hindi, you say what you write. English is different: the spelling of many words is hundreds of years old, but the sound changed. So do not read English letter by letter. Learn the sound of each new word, and use a dictionary app when you are not sure.

Silent letterWordsSay
k (before n)know, knife, knee, knocknoh, nyf, nee, nok
wwrite, wrong, answer, swordryt, rong, AAN-ser, sord
b (after m, before t)comb, thumb, climb, debt, doubtkohm, thum, klym, det, dowt
lwalk, talk, half, calm, salmon, couldwawk, tawk, haaf, kaam, SAM-un, kud
tlisten, castle, whistle, oftenLIS-un, KAA-sul, WIS-ul, OF-un (OF-tun is also correct)
hhour, honest, honourOW-er, ON-ist, ON-er
gsign, foreign, designsyn, FOR-in, di-ZYN
ppsychology, receipt, cupboardsy-KOL-uh-jee, ri-SEET, KUB-erd
dWednesday, handsomeWENZ-day, HAN-sum

I know the answer.

Say it: ai NOH thee AAN-ser

मुझे जवाब पता है।

No k in "know", no w in "answer".

Please keep the receipt.

Say it: pleez KEEP thuh ri-SEET

कृपया रसीद संभालकर रखिए।

The p is silent: ri-SEET, not ri-SEEPT.

The meeting is on Wednesday at half past four.

Say it: thuh MEET-ing iz on WENZ-day at HAAF paast FOR

मीटिंग बुधवार को साढ़े चार बजे है।

Silent d in Wednesday, silent l in half. In American English, "half" sounds like "haf".

-ed endings: three sounds

SoundWhenExamples
tafter voiceless sounds: p, k, f, s, sh, chworked (wurkt), watched (wocht), helped (helpt), missed (mist), laughed (laaft)
dafter voiced sounds: vowels, b, g, l, m, n, r, v, zplayed (playd), called (kawld), lived (livd), cleaned (kleend)
id (an extra part)only after t or dwanted (WON-tid), needed (NEE-did), started, decided

Voiceless or voiced? Put your fingers on your throat. Say "sss": no buzz, so it is voiceless. Say "zzz": you feel a buzz, so it is voiced. This one test explains both the -ed and the -s endings.

I worked late and watched a film.

Say it: ai WURKT LAYT un WOCHT uh FILM

मैंने देर तक काम किया और एक फ़िल्म देखी।

One beat each: "wurkt", "wocht". Not "work-ed", "watch-ed".

She wanted to go, so she called a cab.

Say it: shee WON-tid tuh GOH, soh shee KAWLD uh KAB

वह जाना चाहती थी, इसलिए उसने कैब बुलाई।

"Wanted" ends in t, so it gets the extra "id". "Called" just adds a d sound.

-s and -es endings: three sounds

SoundWhenExamples
safter voiceless sounds: p, t, k, fcats, books, shops, works
zafter voiced sounds and vowelsdogs, calls, cars, plays, lives
iz (an extra part)after s, z, sh, ch and j soundsbuses, watches, oranges, boxes, places

He buys oranges and watches cricket on Sundays.

Say it: hee BYZ OR-in-jiz un WOCH-iz KRIK-it on SUN-dayz

वह रविवार को संतरे ख़रीदता है और क्रिकेट देखता है।

"Buys" and "Sundays" end in z; "oranges" and "watches" add "iz".

Words many people say differently

WordSayNot
vegetableVEJ-tuh-bul (three parts)ve-ge-TAY-bul
comfortableKUMF-ter-bulkom-for-TAY-bul
clothesklohdhz (one part, like "close")klo-thes
womenWIM-inWO-men
pizzaPEET-suhPIZ-za
islandAI-lund (silent s)IS-land
recipeRES-uh-peeri-SYP
Think of it like this: Silent letters are like relatives in a family photo who never speak at the function: they are in the picture (the spelling), but you never hear them. You simply have to learn who they are, the same way you learn who is who at a big family wedding.
Careful: Most common mistakes: an extra part in "work-ed", "walk-ed", "ask-ed" (say wurkt, wawkt, aaskt); saying every letter ("Wed-nes-day", "sal-mon", a p in "receipt"); and dropping the -s ending ("he work here", "two book"), which also sounds like a grammar mistake.
Tip: Keep a "sounds different" list in your phone notes. Each time you meet a new word, play its sound in a dictionary app before you use it. Once a day, read a short news paragraph aloud and decide for every -ed (t, d or id) and every -s (s, z or iz).

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Watch the lesson

Silent letters and -ed and -s endings · 1/7

Silent letters · -ed · -s

Hello! Today we learn silent letters and the sounds of the ed and s endings.

Prefer a video by a teacher? Find free videos on “silent letters ed and s ending pronunciation english in hindi” on YouTube ↗

In real life: At a supermarket billing counter

Cashier: Good evening. Did you find everything? Meena: Yes, thanks. I picked up some vegetables, half a kilo of tomatoes and some oranges. Cashier: The oranges are on offer today. You saved forty rupees. Meena: Great! I watched a recipe video last night and wanted to try a new dish. Cashier: Sounds tasty. Here is your receipt. Meena: Thank you. Are you open on Wednesdays? Cashier: Yes, but we close an hour early on Wednesdays. Meena: Okay, I'll remember that. Have a good evening!

Practice (0/4 done)

Task 1 · Speak

Say this. Watch the silent letters and the -ed endings.

I walked to the market on Wednesday and bought some vegetables.

मैं बुधवार को पैदल बाज़ार गया और कुछ सब्ज़ियाँ ख़रीदीं।

Press Speak, then say the sentence.
Task 2 · Listen and type

Listen for the -ed endings, then type the sentence.

Task 3 · Practice

Write five sentences about last weekend with at least six past verbs and four plural nouns. After each -ed or -s word, write its ending sound in brackets: (t), (d), (id), (s), (z) or (iz). Then read them aloud.

Task 4 · Question

Which word has an extra "id" part at the end?

Quick quiz

Question 1

1.In "listen", which letter is silent?

Question 2

2.How many beats (syllables) does "walked" have?

Question 3

3.The -s in "dogs" sounds like...

Question 4

4.How do you say "vegetable"?

Question 5

5.Which word has a silent h?

Open a question to see the answer and why. The first ones are this topic's own quiz, so try the quiz above before you peek.

In "listen", which letter is silent?

Answer: t

"Listen" sounds like LIS-un: the t is silent, as in castle and whistle.

How many beats (syllables) does "walked" have?

Answer: one: wawkt

After k, -ed is just a t sound, so "walked" is one beat: wawkt. The l is silent too.

The -s in "dogs" sounds like...

Answer: z

After a voiced sound like g, the -s ending is a z sound.

How do you say "vegetable"?

Answer: VEJ-tuh-bul

Three parts with the stress on the first: VEJ-tuh-bul.

Which word has a silent h?

Answer: hour

"Hour" sounds like "our". That is why we say "an hour", not "a hour".

How many letters are in the English alphabet?Related

Answer: 26

English has 26 letters, from A to Z.

From The English alphabet and its sounds

Which sound do you make with your top teeth on your lower lip?Related

Answer: v

v = top teeth on the lower lip with a buzz. For w you round your lips and the teeth touch nothing.

From Tricky sounds: th, v and w, z, and more

Complete: "Yesterday, she ___ a letter to her friend."Related

Answer: wrote

write → wrote (irregular).

From Simple past: talking about yesterday

A colleague says, "My grandmother passed away last week." The best reply is...Related

Answer: I'm so sorry for your loss.

"I'm so sorry for your loss" is the kind, standard reply.

From Feelings and opinions

Pass the quiz (60% or more) or mark this topic as done when you are ready.

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Next steps

  1. 1 more topic in “Clear pronunciation and listening” before its exam: Small talk and active listening.
  2. Module 11 exam: clear pronunciation and listening · 15 questions · 20 min, without help. 5 topics of this module still to finish first.
  3. Then the next module, English at work and interviews. 59 topics left in the course before the final exam.

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