How to pronounce -s, -es and -ed endings
Short answer: The endings -s, -es and -ed each have three sounds, and the sound before the ending decides which one you say. After a voiceless sound, say /s/ or /t/. After a voiced sound, say /z/ or /d/. After hissing sounds (for -s) or t and d (for -ed), add a syllable: /ɪz/ or /ɪd/. The spelling does not change, so listen to the sound before the ending.
At a glance
| Sound before | -s / -es | -ed |
|---|---|---|
| voiceless (p, t, k, f, th) | /s/ cats, books | /t/ jumped, walked |
| voiced (b, d, g, v, l, m, n, r, vowels) | /z/ dogs, plays | /d/ played, cleaned |
| hissing sounds (s, z, sh, ch, j) | /ɪz/ buses, watches | — |
| t or d | — | /ɪd/ wanted, needed |
The idea: voiced and voiceless
A voiced sound makes your throat buzz, and a voiceless sound is only air. The ending copies the sound before it.
- Touch your throat and say s and z. Only z has a buzz.
- Cat ends with a voiceless /t/, so the plural is voiceless: cats /kæts/.
- Dog ends with a voiced /g/, so the plural is voiced: dogs /dɔgz/.
- The same idea works for -ed: walked /wɔkt/ and played /pleɪd/.
Which ending adds a syllable?
- -s or -es adds a syllable after /s z ʃ ʒ tʃ dʒ/: buses, quizzes, wishes, watches, judges.
- -ed adds a syllable after /t/ and /d/: wanted, needed, visited.
- In all other words, the ending joins the last syllable.
Lessons
Practice each ending in its own lesson.
-s and -ed side by side
The same two decisions (voiced or voiceless, extra syllable or not) work for both endings.
| Ending | Word | Sound | Syllables |
|---|---|---|---|
| -s | cats | /s/ | 1 |
| -s | dogs | /z/ | 1 |
| -es | buses | /ɪz/ | 2 |
| -ed | walked | /t/ | 1 |
| -ed | played | /d/ | 1 |
| -ed | wanted | /ɪd/ | 2 |
Check yourself
- How do you say -s in “books”?
Show the answer
/s/ k is voiceless.
- How do you say -ed in “played”?
Show the answer
/d/ y (a vowel sound) is voiced.
- Which ending adds a syllable in “watches”?
Show the answer
-es: /ɪz/. ch is a hissing sound.
Questions
Why do endings matter so much?
They carry grammar: plural, third person singular and past tense. If you drop them, the listener may not know if you mean one or more, or now or before.
Is the spelling different for each sound?
No. The spelling stays -s, -es or -ed; only the sound changes.
Does this work in all accents?
The rule is the same in most varieties of English, but check a dictionary for unusual words.
Part of the 👄 Pronunciation tool. Đọc bằng tiếng Việt.
Written for English learners by the English for Fun team. How we write our lessons · Last updated 2026-11-05.
Reviewed by Chinh Q. Hoang, PhD, founder, English for Fun · 2026-10-30