LISTEN
listen_to_-d-.mp3
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WHAT IS IT?
Pronunciation:
​The sound /d/ is a voiced, alveolar, stop consonant.
  • Touch your alveolar ridge (the hard space behind your upper teeth) with the tip of your tongue.
  • Move your tongue sharply downward and let air out in a short burst.
  • Your vocal cords should vibrate.

The sound /d/ can be in these consonant clusters:
  • Beginning of a Syllable
  • End of a Syllable
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​​/dr/ - draw
/dw/ - dwell
/rd/ (sometimes "red") - hard, feared
/ld/ (sometimes "led") - told
/nd/ (sometimes "ned" or "nned")  - land, rained, planned​
/md/ ("med" / "mmed" / "mbed") - claimed, hummed, combed
/lmd/ ("lmed") - calmed
/rmd/ ("med") - harmed
/bd/ ("bed" / "bbed") - transcribed, robbed
/gd/ ("gged") - hugged
/vd/ ("ved") - loved
​​/zd/ ("zed" / "sed") - amazed, raised
/ðd/ ('thed") - breathed
/dʒd/ ("ged" / "dged") - raged, judged
/dz/ ("ds" / "des") - roads, grades
/rdz/ ("rds") - cords
/ldz/ ("lds") - builds
/nz/ ("nds") - bands

​Spelling:
  • "d" - had, avoid
  • "de" - made, reside
  • "dd" - sudden, address
  • "ed" - loved, feared

Grammar Tip:
​The “-ed” ending is used to mark most past tense verbs, some past participles, and some participial adjectives. The “-ed” ending is pronounced /d/ after a vowel or a voiced consonant.
grammar_-d-_1.mp3
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  • loved
  • called
  • amazed
  • tried ​
​

​The "-ed" ending is pronounced /əd/ after the sounds /t/ or /d/.
grammar_-d-_2.mp3
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  • ​handed
  • wanted
  • interested
  • loaded

COMPARE
Compare /d/ with /t/:
compare_d-t_1.mp3
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/d/.../t/.../d/.../t/.../d/.../t/...

These are both alveolar, stop consonants. However, /d/ is a voiced consonant and /t/ is a voiceless consonant. When you pronounce /t/, your vocal cords should vibrate.

Listen to words with /d/ and /t/, and identify which word you hear. Choose A or B. You will hear the word twice, followed by the answer.
compare_d-t_2.mp3
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1. A. dip, B. tip
2. A. drunk​, B. trunk
3. A. pad, B. pat
4. A. mend, B. meant
5. A. burned, B. burnt

Compare Word Forms:
As extra practice, listen to sentences with or without a verb that ends in "-ed". Identify which sentence you hear. Choose A or B. You will hear the sentence twice, followed by the answer.
compare_-d-_word_forms.mp3
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1. A. They called us.        B. They call us.
2. A. I carried this.           B. I carry this.
3. A. They wanted it.       B. They want it.
4. A. We tried hard.         B. We try hard.
5. A. I learned a lot.         B. I learn a lot.

PRACTICE
Listen and repeat these words:
words_with_-d-.mp3
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1. dot
2. dear
3. drink
4. draw
5. dresser
6. sad 
7. tend
8. birds
9. learned
10. loved
11. judged
12. understand
13. divided
14. address
15. redo
16. thunder
17. medicine
18. bundle
19. mandatory
20. dedicated  

​Now, practice /d/ in sentences. Say the words first, then the sentences.
sentences_with_-d-.mp3
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1. doctors - diagnose - kinds - diseases
Doctors diagnose all kinds of diseases.
2. did - decide - dessert
Did you decide what you want for dessert?
3. children - dressing - different
Children love dressing up as different ​characters.
4. send - include - address
When you send the invitations, include your address.
5. burned - dish - dinner
I burned the dish I was cooking for dinner.
6. heard - bad - Monday
​I heard the bad news on Monday.

To practice with different varieties of English, choose another native English speaker by clicking one of the links below:

USE IT!
​​Practice the task below. Then, record yourself completing that task. Give your recording to a teacher or an English-speaking friend for feedback.

Prepare:​
Think about the last time you prepared for a big test. What did you do to prepare? ​​
  • Memorized information
  • Analyzed examples
  • Studied your notes
  • Reviewed old exams​
  • Stayed up all night
  • ​Discussed questions with a teacher
  • Completed a practice test
  • Joined a study group
  • Hired a tutor
  • Memorized information
  • Analyzed examples
  • Studied your notes
  • Reviewed old exams​
  • Stayed up all night​
  • ​Discussed questions with a teacher
  • Completed a practice test
  • Joined a study group
  • Hired a tutor

Record:
In your recording, describe what you did to prepare for the test. Then, explain which preparations were most helpful.

​© 2018, Christine Wingate