2.2 The past (participle) endings
The English past tense morpheme has three shapes (or ‘allomorphs’): /ɪd/, /t/ and /d/. They are used as follows:
Shape 1
/ɪd/ after /t,d/, as in fitted, loaded;
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fitted – /ˈfɪt̬ɪd/ |
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| loaded – /ˈloʊdɪd/ |
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Shape 2
/t/ after the fortis obstruents /p, k, f, θ, s, ʃ/, as in helped, knocked, stuffed, pronounced, leashed;
| helped – /hɛlpt/ |
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| knocked – /nɑːkt/ |
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| stuffed – /stʌft/ |
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| leashed – /liːʃt/ |
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Shape 3
/d/ in other situations, i.e. after /b, g, v, ð, z, ʒ, m, n, ŋ, l, r/ and after all vowels, as in stabbed, bagged and in showed, tied, etc.
| stabbed – /stæbd/ |
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| bagged – /bægd/ |
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| showed – /ʃoʊd/ |
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| tied – /taɪd/ |
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In irregular verbs these rules of course do not apply.
Note: –edly is always pronounced /ədli/ when the accent falls on the last syllable of adverbs:
| marked | /mɑrkt/ | markedly | /ˈmɑrkədli/ |
| assured | /əˈʃʊrd/ | assuredly | /əˈʃʊrədli/ |
But: good-humouredly /ˈgʊd ˈhjuːmərdli/.
