# How do you pronounce "often?"

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-often/537866>\
**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:** 7\
**Page:** 5

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**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\
**Post date:** [May 6, 2010, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-often/537866/81 "2010-05-06T14:31:13Z")

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“OFF-in.” NE Ohio, born and raised here.

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**Author:** ![SanVito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sanvito/32/2805_2.png) [@SanVito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanVito)\
**Post date:** [May 6, 2010, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-often/537866/82 "2010-05-06T15:17:28Z")

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Off’n.

British, speaking generally with a BBC (i.e. neutralish, to us) accent.

OfTen sounds like someone with a regional accent trying, and failing, to speak ‘proper’.

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**Author:** ![BaconAndEggs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f4b2a3/32.png) [@BaconAndEggs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BaconAndEggs)\
**Post date:** [May 6, 2010, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-often/537866/83 "2010-05-06T15:48:42Z")

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I’m from California and I say often, but now I saw “offin” has the higher vote. This puzzles me because I thought the only people that said “offin” were from Midwest/Southern states. Like people say “I’m “fixin” to go.”

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**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\
**Post date:** [May 6, 2010, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-often/537866/84 "2010-05-06T16:08:42Z")

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> [@BaconAndEggs](#):
>
> I’m from California and I say often, but now I saw “offin” has the higher vote. This puzzles me because I thought the only people that said “offin” were from Midwest/Southern states. Like people say “I’m “fixin” to go.”

Meh. Here in WV, people are “fixin’ to” do things all the time! 🙂

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**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\
**Post date:** [May 6, 2010, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-often/537866/85 "2010-05-06T16:18:47Z")

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Offin, though I rarely use the word. I refer “oftimes.”

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**Author:** ![BlinkingDuck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/eada6e/32.png) [@BlinkingDuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlinkingDuck)\
**Post date:** [May 6, 2010, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-often/537866/86 "2010-05-06T16:43:40Z")

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WTH? You guys peasants or something?!?

It’s off-tin!

🙂

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**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\
**Post date:** [May 6, 2010, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-often/537866/87 "2010-05-06T17:04:45Z")

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Off’n, closer to the first poll option I guess. There’s certainly no “t” tongue/teeth click, although there is tongue movement upwards, and touching the back of the teeth, at the crucial point.

Scotland.

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