How do you pronounce 'often'?

PantheraTigris2 · Oct 30, 2004

I've been told by more than one English teacher (who, turn, were allegedly told by their college professors, et.al.) that it is not technically correct to pronounce the 't' in 'often'. Well, I always did, until I was about 15, and was told it was wrong. for the next 10 years since, I've been saying it without pronouncing the 't'. :hmm:

Always was a little dubious about this. But yeah, everybody knows how to pronounce 'potato'. So this is the next pronunciation question...

WarlordMatt · Oct 30, 2004

"I do not speak, read, or write, any English whatsoever"

Somehow, I doubt this option is necessary :lol:

Syterion · Oct 30, 2004

Without the "t". That's just how the word is pronounced.

What dictionary.com adds:

Dictionary.com said:
Usage Note: During the 15th century English experienced a widespread loss of certain consonant sounds within consonant clusters, as the (d) in handsome and handkerchief, the (p) in consumption and raspberry, and the (t) in chestnut and often. In this way the consonant clusters were simplified and made easier to articulate. With the rise of public education and literacy and, consequently, people's awareness of spelling in the 19th century, sounds that had become silent sometimes were restored, as is the case with the t in often, which is now frequently pronounced. In other similar words, such as soften and listen, the t generally remains silent.

raen · Oct 30, 2004

For me sounds really weird without the 't' (Im Portuguese

), but now I understand why many English/American seem not to say it. I will try to say it the right way since now then :crazyeye:

Hundegesicht · Oct 30, 2004

I've always said and heard it pronounced with the "t"... for some reason "offen" sounds awefully redneck to me. I can't even say it without sounding weird.

Cuivienen · Oct 30, 2004

I say "offen" except when acting.

I've never heard consumption pronounced without the p sound, or chestnut without the t.

amadeus · Oct 30, 2004

"Offen."

Get rid of the ten character limit for senior posters!

Tomoyo · Oct 30, 2004

I don't know. It depends on the situation, really. I have two types of "speech mode". One, I use words like "albeit", and "thus", and the other is normal. The former is the one with the "t".

Colonel · Oct 30, 2004

Sorry but I have this thing about sounding hickish I say it with a t everyone I know says it with a t and alot of them are southerners so I dont know where this came from.

North King · Oct 30, 2004

It depends. When I think about it, often, when I don't, offen.

stormbind · Oct 31, 2004

Often.

All consonants should be articulated clearly, if you hope to be understood by the majority of potential listeners in the world.

Taliesin · Oct 31, 2004

stormbind said:
Often.

All consonants should be articulated clearly, if you hope to be understood by the majority of potential listeners in the world.

I agree.
All consonant-s shoulld be articulated clearly, if you hope to be understood by the majority of potent-ee-al listteners in the world.
(Okay, I could probably come up with a funnier example than this, but it would take valuable time and effort.

)

I voted offen because on balance I use it more, but I find it depends on the words around it. For example, when starting the sentence "Often I go to the store", however infrequently this construction occurs, I pronounce the t. Maybe I pronounce it if the word after often starts with a vowel, or maybe it's less rigorous than that.
I don't check oftten enough.

Godwynn · Oct 31, 2004

Off-ten. My mother keeps correcting me when I say it my way.

Mescalhead · Oct 31, 2004

I pronounce it with the "t". It sounds more refined in spite of the notion that it is incorrect. Strange as I my pronunciation is usually rather pedestrian, though I do pronounce "culinary" properly.

North King said:
It depends. When I think about it, often, when I don't, offen.

Then the question is: how often do you think about it? It isn't often that I hear it pronounced with the "t" so I am not often concerned. I noticed that I am saying often rather often.

stormbind · Oct 31, 2004

Mescalhead said:
I pronounce it with the "t". It sounds more refined in spite of the notion that it is incorrect.

The British Isles are the most linguistically diverse area in the English-speaking world, yet the notion there, is that pronouncing the 't' in often is most correct.

The current form of written English dates to the 16th Century. Consonants were dropped where education was poorest, because those people didn't know the true spelling. Current speakers lack that excuse.

If reading the above text, you can be sure that I would pronounce every consonant clearly (excluding a rolled R).

Perfection · Oct 31, 2004

I do it the easy way, it's easier to say with a silent "t"!

microbe · Oct 31, 2004

I think a more interesting question is how to pronounse "costco". I did the "t" for two years before I overheard somebody said it shouldn't.

A'AbarachAmadan · Oct 31, 2004

According to my Webster's Dictionary both are correct. Similar to forte (fort or fortay) are both correct as it was w/out the 'ay' as it is latin in origin, but colloquialism changed it; same for 'often'. Now why is the dang language has so many pronounciations for the same spelling of ough without rhyme or reason?!
tough, through, plough, dough

~Corsair#01~ · Oct 31, 2004

Now I remember, I don't think you are supposed to pronounce the T. I still do, out of habit though. It doesn't make a difference really.

nonconformist · Oct 31, 2004

I duno. Depends. When I'm speaking to adults, the T is there, when I slip into slang, semi-Westcountry accent, it disappears.

How do you pronounce 'often'?

Do you pronounce the 't'?

Yes, I pronounce it, just as it's spelled

No, I do not prnounce the 't'

I do not speak, read, or write, any English whatsoever

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