Spelling -ED Ending Rules

English Grammar

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.

Spelling Exceptions

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.

• I traveled around South America in 2012.
• Her beauty marveled us.

English Spelling Chart

Next activities

See our English lesson about the Spelling of words ending in ED that is a part of our free English course.

Read our guide about the pronunciation of words ending in ED.

See our notes about Adjectives ending in -ED, the Past Tense and Past Participles (which normally end in ED).

These rules are similar when spelling words ending in -ING.

If you found this grammar guide about the spelling of words ending in ED in English useful, let others know about it.