Job Discussion Forums

[mjed9]

I recently learnt a rule for some of the past regular verbs endings

/id/ endings will mostly proceed verbs ending with "d" or "t" or "de"

eg.

wait
persuade
wade
collect
blind

Does anyone know if there are rules that govern when /d/ and /t/ are to be used?

Thanks

Mjed

[Celeste]

/t/ is used for the past tense of regular verbs where the final sound is unvoiced (faced, laughed, looked, stopped,passed, boxed)

/d/ is used for the past tense of regular verbs where the final sound is voiced (played, stabbed, bagged, lied, judged, called, crammed, canned, flowed, warred, saved, fazed)

/id/ is used for the past tense of words that end in /t/ or /d/ (batted, worded)

Go on, ask me about plurals and third person singular....

[mjed9]

Plurals and third person is not an issue thanks

But, at the risk of asking a dumb question, "voiced" and "unvoiced" in layman English are what?

Thanks

Mjed

[basiltherat]

touch your adam's apple, as you complete saying the verb; (exaggerate /lenthen the last sound) of the word. if you can feel a vibration, then wen you add 'ed' the sound made is 'd'. if there is no vibration, the final sound after adding 'ed' is a 't' sound. thats the way i do it. same goes for 's' on plurals and third persons ('s' or 'z' sounded ending)
basil

[FGT]

Basiltherat did well. For the complete novice: The mouth shape for /p/ and /b/ are the same; /b/ is voiced (there is use of the voice box) whereas /p/ is unvoiced, /f/ and /v/ work the same way etc etc. The sounds come in pairs.
As to why some past forms are sounded as /t/ or/d/ the simplest answer is that that's the way we naturally say them- it's easier. After /s/ (unvoiced) it's easier to make the sound /t/ (unvoiced) eg kiss - kissed. After /z/ (voiced), it's easier to make the sound /d/ - eg close - closed. Other languages make similar adjustments.
If you're still not sure about voiced/unvoiced: put a slip of paper in front of your mouth, say /p/ and the paper moves. Say /b/ it doesn't. Did your mouth change?

[shmooj]

A tip for the newbie phoneticist...

Under no circumstances read a book about how to teach phonics in a public place or read this thread in an internet cafe/school computer lab/ etc.

It will do your credibility infinite harm

[Celeste]

Though I love practicing plosives asnd fricatives on the subway, I get a seat to myself...

[dduck]

[worth]

A simple rule: If the simple form of the verb ends in /t/ or /d/, a syllable is added when spoken.
eg: add - 1 syllable
added - 2 syllables

If it doesn't end in /t/ or /d/, the number of syllables remains the same. I think this is easier to explain than voiced and unvoiced sounds.

eg: laugh - 1 syllable
laughed - 1 syllable

Peace,
Worth

[Dr.J]

I just imagine a crazed EFL teacher on a train in some foreign land mumbling "plosive fricative plosive fricative"...being eyed by anxious natives.