# How do you pronounce "often?" **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 30, 2010, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-often/537866 "2010-04-30T14:33:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2010, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-often/537866/1 "2010-04-30T14:33:58Z")
And where are you from? I ask because two radio commercials that I’ve heard lately pronounce it with the “t.” That just sounds wrong to my ears. I’m pretty sure most people I know pronounce it as “OFF-en.” ---
**Author:** ![Angel\_of\_the\_Lord](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/angel_of_the_lord/32/2949_2.png) [@Angel\_of\_the\_Lord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Angel_of_the_Lord)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2010, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-often/537866/2 "2010-04-30T14:42:37Z")
There’s a definite T when I say it. I’m from the Chicago area. ---
**Author:** ![emmaliminal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7bcc69/32.png) [@emmaliminal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/emmaliminal)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2010, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-often/537866/3 "2010-04-30T14:44:55Z")
I’m from eastern Washington state (where the dialect is heavily influenced by California and the upper Midwest) and pronounce the T. But in voice classes in acting college, my voice teachers tried to beat it out of me. ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2010, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-often/537866/4 "2010-04-30T14:45:10Z")
Frequently. > [@W. S. Gilbert](#): > > General. I ask you, have you ever known what it is to be an orphan? > > King. Often! > > General. Yes, orphan. Have you ever known what it is to be one? > > King. I say, often. > > Pirates. (disgusted) Often, often, often. (Turning away) > > General. I don’t think we quite understand one another. I ask you, have you ever known what it is to be an orphan, and you say “orphan”. As I understand you, you are merely repeating the word “orphan” to show that you understand me. > > King. I didn’t repeat the word often. > > General. Pardon me, you did indeed. > > King. I only repeated it once. > > General. True, but you repeated it. > > King. But not often. > > General. Stop! I think I see where we are getting confused. When you said “orphan”, did you mean “orphan” – a person who has lost his parents, or “often”, frequently? > > King. Ah! I beg pardon – I see what you mean – frequently. > > General. Ah! you said “often”, frequently. > > King. No, only once. > > General. (irritated) Exactly – you said “often”, frequently, only once. ---
**Author:** ![kenner116](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecb155/32.png) [@kenner116](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenner116)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2010, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-often/537866/5 "2010-04-30T14:46:30Z")
Both, and I’m not sure which one I use more frequently. I voted for OFF-tin since it sounded better when I just repeated a few phrases using both pronunciations. From southern New Jersey. ---
**Author:** ![dangermom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@dangermom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dangermom)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2010, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-often/537866/6 "2010-04-30T14:47:32Z")
Offen. Lifelong Californian. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2010, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-often/537866/7 "2010-04-30T14:51:58Z")
Offin. Central Arkansas. ---
**Author:** ![badbadrubberpiggy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/57b2e6/32.png) [@badbadrubberpiggy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/badbadrubberpiggy)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2010, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-often/537866/8 "2010-04-30T14:52:06Z")
I use both, but think I use “OFF-ten” more…often. From New Hampshire. ---
**Author:** ![Crotalus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crotalus/32/41_2.png) [@Crotalus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crotalus)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2010, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-often/537866/9 "2010-04-30T15:02:24Z")
No T for me. I spent most of my life in Baltimore, Maryland. ---
**Author:** ![whole\_bean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/96bed5/32.png) [@whole\_bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whole_bean)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2010, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-often/537866/10 "2010-04-30T15:04:09Z")
No “t” for me. born in Birmingham, Alabama. raised in Mobile, Alabama ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2010, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-often/537866/11 "2010-04-30T15:06:32Z")
I voted for “off-tin”, but now I’m not sure any more… ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Koxinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2010, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-often/537866/12 "2010-04-30T15:10:27Z")
Off’n. Central Texas. ---
**Author:** ![breaking-reality](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a8b319/32.png) [@breaking-reality](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/breaking-reality)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2010, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-often/537866/13 "2010-04-30T15:19:48Z")
Both, pretty interchangeably, though I voted off-tin as that’s probably the one used most often. I’m from the Midwest (IL). ---
**Author:** ![Surly\_Chick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@Surly\_Chick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Surly_Chick)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2010, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-often/537866/14 "2010-04-30T15:36:25Z")
> [@Angel\_of\_the\_Lord](#): > > There’s a definite T when I say it. I’m from the Chicago area. +1 ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2010, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-often/537866/15 "2010-04-30T15:40:39Z")
> [@Giles](#): > > Frequently. Exactly where my mind went when I saw the thread title. ---
**Author:** ![BlakeTyner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@BlakeTyner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlakeTyner)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2010, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-often/537866/16 "2010-04-30T15:47:42Z")
Offen. Lifelong resident of Northeast Texas. Hearing the “t” always sounds wrong to my ears. ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2010, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-often/537866/17 "2010-04-30T15:51:17Z")
> [@kenner116](#): > > Both, and I’m not sure which one I use more frequently. I voted for OFF-tin since it sounded better when I just repeated a few phrases using both pronunciations. > > From southern New Jersey. Exactly the same for me, including how I voted, except that I grew up in California and have spent the last several years in the Midwest. (Some of my diction is still strongly Californian, and some of it’s more Midwestern and I can’t tell what came from where at this point.) ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2010, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-often/537866/18 "2010-04-30T15:53:39Z")
Where’s the ‘other’ option?! Of _tin_?? ‘tin’?? often. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2010, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-often/537866/19 "2010-04-30T16:38:46Z")
I like to listen to Bach often, but I don’t like listening to Offenbach. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2010, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-often/537866/20 "2010-04-30T16:43:31Z")
I’m a Brit and there’s no way I’d say “in” on the end. I’d use a schwa, but hardly any of it - “OFF-ən” but more like “OFFn”. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-often/537866.md?page=2)