# Of TEN or Of EN? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 28, 2005, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/of-ten-or-of-en/287184 "2005-01-28T21:11:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2005, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/of-ten-or-of-en/287184/21 "2005-01-29T00:57:54Z")
> [@1010011010](#): > > I pronounce the T, just like in “oft”. Yep, me too. Oft-en ---
**Author:** ![Cockatiel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cockatiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cockatiel)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2005, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/of-ten-or-of-en/287184/22 "2005-01-29T00:58:48Z")
I switch back and forth, but I say it without the “t” more. ---
**Author:** ![Jayn\_Newell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Jayn\_Newell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jayn_Newell)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2005, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/of-ten-or-of-en/287184/23 "2005-01-29T01:04:20Z")
> [@jsgoddess](#): > > OFF-n Depends on where I am and who I’m talking to, but this is the most usual pronunciation for me most likely. Though I tend to talk like whoever I’m around, if I know them well enough. ---
**Author:** ![Stuffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f17d59/32.png) [@Stuffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stuffy)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2005, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/of-ten-or-of-en/287184/24 "2005-01-29T01:32:13Z")
> [@Shrinking Violet](#): > > OFF-TEN here. Ditto. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2005, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/of-ten-or-of-en/287184/25 "2005-01-29T03:02:09Z")
For me, the T is silent. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2005, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/of-ten-or-of-en/287184/26 "2005-01-29T05:48:51Z")
“Offin” ---
**Author:** ![PastAllReason](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f07891/32.png) [@PastAllReason](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastAllReason)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2005, 6:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/of-ten-or-of-en/287184/27 "2005-01-29T06:25:36Z")
No T for me. ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2005, 8:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/of-ten-or-of-en/287184/28 "2005-01-29T08:29:39Z")
Off-en. Off-ten is just wrong. Don’t even get me started on the “axe” me a question pronunciation. ---
**Author:** ![DanBlather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f4b2a3/32.png) [@DanBlather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DanBlather)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2005, 8:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/of-ten-or-of-en/287184/29 "2005-01-29T08:33:58Z")
I’m an off-en as well. I think that most people who pronounce the T are trying to be “correct”, but the pronounciation without the T is used more frequently and is at least as correct if not more so. One of my co-workers puts a T at the end of across; this drives me nutso. ---
**Author:** ![Shrinking\_Violet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@Shrinking\_Violet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shrinking_Violet)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2005, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/of-ten-or-of-en/287184/30 "2005-01-29T16:34:58Z")
> [@DanBlather](#): > > I think that most people who pronounce the T are trying to be “correct”, but the pronounciation without the T is used more frequently and is at least as correct if not more so. Both are equally correct. I think there may be a transatlantic divide on this … I’m a Brit and hear it said _with_ the “t” much more than without it - do you agree **Lobsang**? ---
**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:** [January 29, 2005, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/of-ten-or-of-en/287184/31 "2005-01-29T16:42:32Z")
> [@Shrinking Violet](#): > > I think there may be a transatlantic divide on this … I’m a Brit and hear it said _with_ the “t” much more than without it - do you agree **Lobsang**? Yes. Even in casual quick speech the t is always clearly pronounced. (So there) ---
**Author:** ![Kythereia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e8c25b/32.png) [@Kythereia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kythereia)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2005, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/of-ten-or-of-en/287184/32 "2005-01-29T17:12:55Z")
Of-ten. ---
**Author:** ![Anastasaeon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/73ab20/32.png) [@Anastasaeon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anastasaeon)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2005, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/of-ten-or-of-en/287184/33 "2005-01-29T17:49:38Z")
Of-ten. ---
**Author:** ![FilmGeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@FilmGeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FilmGeek)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2005, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/of-ten-or-of-en/287184/34 "2005-01-29T19:49:46Z")
Off-ten and sof-ten but liss-en. I also pronounce the TH in clothes, so it doesn’t rhyme with close. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2005, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/of-ten-or-of-en/287184/35 "2005-01-29T22:18:23Z")
> [@DMark](#): > > Off-en. > > Off-ten is just wrong. > > Don’t even get me started on the “axe” me a question pronunciation. So you don’t think that either (or eye-ther) way is okay? Neither (nye-ther) do I. Don’t be too awfully snobbish about ‘axe’. It’s a regional pronunciation very common in Louisiana, even among the educated, and is completely correct in the context of that area. ---
**Author:** ![1010011010](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/1/ea666f/32.png) [@1010011010](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/1010011010)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2005, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/of-ten-or-of-en/287184/36 "2005-01-30T00:38:02Z")
> [@FilmGeek](#): > > Off-ten and sof-ten but liss-en. > I also pronounce the TH in clothes, so it doesn’t rhyme with close. Sof-ten? I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone pronounce the T in soften. About clothes… do you mean so it’s not a homonym? I can’t imagine how you’re pronouncing clothes so it doesn’t rhyme with close. ---
**Author:** ![lisacurl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/41988e/32.png) [@lisacurl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lisacurl)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2005, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/of-ten-or-of-en/287184/37 "2005-02-01T19:27:35Z")
> [@1010011010](#): > > I can’t imagine how you’re pronouncing clothes so it doesn’t rhyme with close. I think it’s a matter of a barely vocalized soft ‘th’ sound. I just pronounced “clothes” and “close” for my coworker and he agrees that there is a slight difference. (Yeah, we’re really productive today.) ---
**Author:** ![JThunder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e95f7d/32.png) [@JThunder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JThunder)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2005, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/of-ten-or-of-en/287184/38 "2005-02-01T19:50:40Z")
Otten. As far as I’m concerned, the “f” is silent. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2005, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/of-ten-or-of-en/287184/39 "2005-02-01T21:00:58Z")
I pronounce it “throatwarbler mangrove”. No, wait. “Off-en”. ---
**Author:** ![1010011010](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/1/ea666f/32.png) [@1010011010](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/1010011010)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2005, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/of-ten-or-of-en/287184/40 "2005-02-01T21:46:01Z")
> [@lisacurl](#): > > I think it’s a matter of a barely vocalized soft ‘th’ sound. I just pronounced “clothes” and “close” for my coworker and he agrees that there is a slight difference. (Yeah, we’re really productive today.) Oh, I don’t pronounce them “close” and “clothes” the same way, either… but they still rhyme. I think you meant homonyms. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/of-ten-or-of-en/287184.md?page=1)