The Learn-ed

Last week I was subbing in a kindergarten classroom and I had a small reading group.  These kindergarteners were pretty smart and we were going over the word looked.  I was explaining that the -ed at the end made the ending sound like it had a "t" sound.  I wanted to explain to them that you could say it another way like the word blessed which is sometimes pronounced blesse-ed or hallowed which is sometimes pronounced hallow-ed but I didn't think they would get it.

That brought back a memory where I was kind of chastised a little bit for pronouncing the word hallowed as hallow-ed as in hallow-ed be thy name, they kingdom come, they will be done in the Our Father prayer.  There are just certain words, depending on the context in which they are read that sound better when you say them with the -ed pronounced.

I had to chuckle, when later that day at Stations of the Cross, a lady behind me said hallow-ed not hallowed.  I felt vindicated.  I know it's inconsequential and I have learned to take this in stride.