The ending ‘d’ sound doesn’t always come through – this happens for native and non-native speakers of English, and especially for non-native speakers whose native language often does not end syllables with consonant sounds.
Why doesn’t the ‘d’ sound at the end of a syllable come through?
It takes energy!
This sounds requires you to press your tongue to the roof of your mouth and then explode air through it while vocalizing. Simultaneously, you’ve got to vibrate your vocal chords, which are below the throat, and make a small explosion at the front of your mouth with the forceful feeling of snapping your fingers. This requires a ton of air and energy.
In contrast, the ‘t’ sound requires you to do that same explosion at the front but without voice. This takes less energy.
My strategy – if one syllable ends in ‘d’, budget air and energy for two syllables – the second one is the ‘d’ sound itself.
Try it: mol-d, col-d, a-ban-don-d
For more energy, think of that spot just below your navel as a gas pedal (if you have ever driven a car and know what that means).
Sit or stand up straight, let your belly expand as you breathe in, and give that gas pedal a firm tap to get more air up and out as you vocalize that ‘d’.
(a) coal and cold
(b) mole and mold