:rolleyes:
Off’n. Originally I’m from Southeastern Washington State. I’ve hammered at various quirks in my speech over the years, but I’m pretty sure I’ve always said “often” that way. I think my sister, who was raised with me, says “off-ten”, though.
Boy, there’s really no geographical correlation to this, is there?
or “listen”?
Sorry- “Off-tin” sounds ignorant to this former Southern Californian.
.
Yeah, what’s with “tin” in the poll instead of “ten”? There’s no “i” in the word. Like most people I know, I say it how it’s spelled.
Although I chose “off-in”, it would be more accurate to say it is “off-n” (vocalic “n”). When I looked in my dictionary that was the only pronunciation offered. That astonishes me since just about every Canadian pronounces the “t”, which drives me nuts. But growing up in Philadelphia, I don’t think I ever heard “off-ten”.
But Canadians have other pronunciation quirks, eh?
Because it is in an unstressed syllable, so the [ɛ] shifts towards a schwa. Many people mishear this as [ɪ], and many exaggerate the shift until it actually is [ɪ].
And I say off-en. I was taught that saying the T was a sign you were a hick.
They only moved the headstones?
Not according to the Oxford English Dictionary. It has various spellings, but none without the “t”. In addition, “often” started of as a form of the word “oft”.
Whichever way I feel like.
I don’t know any more. I think I used to say the “t”, then learned it wasn’t supposed to be pronounced, and tried to drop it, but now the dictionary shows both pronunciations.
ETA: I blame the descriptivists.
With a “t”. English.
No “t”. From central IN. However, I’ve heard both there. The t pronounced sounds pretentious and haughty to me.
More “Offin” than not, I pronounce it “offin”, if I try to pronounce the “t” it sounds more like a “d” than a “t”. And the 2nd syllable sounds more like “end” than “en”. Perhaps, I have a bias towards “D’s”.
I try not to say the “t” but if often - uh, frequently - slips out. I guess that’s the more common pronunciation that I hear. (Western Canada)
Of the two priests at my church, one says it and one doesn’t. Against my will I listen for it every week, at the “Those who have much faith and those who have little, those who come here often and those who come seldom…” part of the Eucharist. I cringe whenever the one priest says “off-ten.” I can’t help it, even though I say it that way myself sometimes.
OFF-in. West Texas.
OFF-en.
N.E. Ohio.
Anchorage, by way of Washington state. I say it with the t pronounced, but softly more of a d than a t.
OffTen
OFF-in. Chicago.