Spelling -ED Ending Rules
The following is a guide to the correct spelling of words ending -ED.
Remember: Not all words that end in -ED are verbs in the past tense. Sometimes they are Past Participles or they could even be Adjectives ending in -ED. For now we will mostly use verbs in the Past Tense as examples though the same rules apply to all words ending in -ED
The general rule when changing a word (or verb) into its -ED form is just to add -ED to the end of it.
- He played with his dog in the backyard.
- I waited for them to invite me.
- She worked until late last night.
- It rained all day.
The following exceptions exist when spelling words ending in ED:
1). If a word ends in an E we just add the D to the end.
- I lived in Japan for two years and then moved to Thailand.
- I loved the surprise you had for me.
- He smiled when he saw his wife come through the door.
- They danced until their feet hurt.
2). If the word ends in a Consonant + Vowel + Consonant, we double the final consonant and add ED.
- The policeman stopped the thief from escaping.
- He admitted that he was wrong.
- We planned a surprise birthday party for our friend.
- I referred the students to the website where they could practice some more.
- They committed a serious crime and will end up in jail.
3). If a two-syllable verb ends in a Consonant + Vowel + Consonant, we DO NOT double the final consonant when the stress is on the FIRST syllable.
- What happened?
- I entered through the back door.
- She was offered a new position with a higher salary.
- Many people are suffered from a lack of food and water.
4). BUT, we DO NOT double the final consonant when the word ends in W, X or Y or when the final syllable is not stressed.
- He fixed his bike.
- We enjoyed our time in the North of Chile.
- It snowed yesterday.
5). If the verb ends in consonant + vowel + L, we normally double the final L and add ED.
Note: In the United States (US) they DO NOT double the L when the accent is on the first syllable.
|Infinitive|| ED form|
| ED form|
- I traveled around South America in 2012.
- Her beauty marveled us.
Read our guide about the pronunciation of words ending in ED.
These rules are similar when spelling words ending in -ING.
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