# "Often" - pronounced with or without the t? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 27, 2007, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/often-pronounced-with-or-without-the-t/427868 "2007-11-27T02:42:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![MadTheSwine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MadTheSwine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MadTheSwine)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2007, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/often-pronounced-with-or-without-the-t/427868/41 "2007-11-27T21:30:19Z")
i say ofTen and correct anyone who says offen ---
**Author:** ![fachverwirrt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/94ad74/32.png) [@fachverwirrt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fachverwirrt)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2007, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/often-pronounced-with-or-without-the-t/427868/42 "2007-11-27T21:55:26Z")
[QUOTE=MadTheSwine] i say ofTen and correct anyone who says offen [/QUOTE] Based on what, all the dictionary cites that state that [offen] is not only correct, but indeed generally preferable? There’s nothing wrong with [of ten] per se, but there is certainly nothing wrong with [offen]. ---
**Author:** ![photopat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e95f7d/32.png) [@photopat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/photopat)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2007, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/often-pronounced-with-or-without-the-t/427868/43 "2007-11-27T22:04:31Z")
43 - Midwesterner, never pronounced the T. ---
**Author:** ![Rhiannon8404](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhiannon8404/32/17929_2.png) [@Rhiannon8404](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhiannon8404)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2007, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/often-pronounced-with-or-without-the-t/427868/44 "2007-11-27T22:18:56Z")
38, born/raised/live in Northern California. I pronounce the T. I think I’m the only one I know who does, though it’s possible I just don’t pay enough attention. ---
**Author:** ![ratatoskK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ratatoskk/32/2987_2.png) [@ratatoskK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ratatoskK)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2007, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/often-pronounced-with-or-without-the-t/427868/45 "2007-11-28T00:32:32Z")
52, northeast U.S., everyone I know says “offen” ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2007, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/often-pronounced-with-or-without-the-t/427868/46 "2007-11-28T00:35:00Z")
mid 30s, west coast US: I don’t pronounce a clear “t” but there is a kind of stop in the middle of “often” that isn’t in the middle of “soften.” I also know I pronounce the “L” in “almond” after having been mocked for my bizarre Northern Californian pronunciation of that word after my family moved away from northern California. ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2007, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/often-pronounced-with-or-without-the-t/427868/47 "2007-11-28T00:37:22Z")
41, Upper Midwest transplant to the Northeast. “Offen.” I often heard “off-ten” growing up in Iowa, but I heard “offen” just as often, if not more often. ---
**Author:** ![PastAllReason](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f07891/32.png) [@PastAllReason](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastAllReason)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2007, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/often-pronounced-with-or-without-the-t/427868/48 "2007-11-28T00:37:47Z")
[QUOTE=Siam Sam] American Heritage dictionary has the following [Usage Note](http://www.bartleby.com/61/39/O0043900.html): “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.” [/QUOTE] This quote really struck me. I pronounce the “d” in handsome and handkerchief, the “p” in in consumption and raspberry, and the “t” in chestnut. Huh. ---
**Author:** ![Bambi\_Hassenpfeffer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Bambi\_Hassenpfeffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bambi_Hassenpfeffer)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2007, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/often-pronounced-with-or-without-the-t/427868/49 "2007-11-28T01:29:10Z")
[QUOTE=PastAllReason] This quote really struck me. I pronounce the “d” in handsome and handkerchief, the “p” in in consumption and raspberry, and the “t” in chestnut. Huh. [/QUOTE] I can buy three of these, cause so do I, but you really say “rasp berry” and not “razz berry” and “hand kerchief” instead of “hankerchief”? ---
**Author:** ![PastAllReason](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f07891/32.png) [@PastAllReason](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastAllReason)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2007, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/often-pronounced-with-or-without-the-t/427868/50 "2007-11-28T01:37:09Z")
[QUOTE=Bambi Hassenpfeffer] I can buy three of these, cause so do I, but you really say “rasp berry” and not “razz berry” and “hand kerchief” instead of “hankerchief”? [/QUOTE] Yes, yes I do. No one has even looked at me like I’m insane, or even commented on it for that matter. To be clear, though, it’s not like when I’m enunciating I say it with a significant pause between “rasp” and “berry” or between 'hand" and “kerchief”. ---
**Author:** ![Hostile\_Dialect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e495f1/32.png) [@Hostile\_Dialect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hostile_Dialect)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2007, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/often-pronounced-with-or-without-the-t/427868/51 "2007-11-28T02:11:44Z")
So you pronounce _both_ the “p” and the “b” in “raspberry”? I simply cannot emulate that without the two sounds merging into one, or without too much dead air jamming itself in between them. ---
**Author:** ![Indian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@Indian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indian)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2007, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/often-pronounced-with-or-without-the-t/427868/52 "2007-11-28T02:22:12Z")
We were taught “offen” here in India . But , I have seeen here that language institutes teach pronunciation often with “t” . I used to listen to BBC world service radio and obesrved that they offen used " often". ---
**Author:** ![gardentraveler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gardentraveler/32/3576_2.png) [@gardentraveler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gardentraveler)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2007, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/often-pronounced-with-or-without-the-t/427868/53 "2007-11-28T02:35:40Z")
Female, 50, grew up in mid-Michigan, live in central Ohio. Offen, soffen, meer. ---
**Author:** ![FilmGeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@FilmGeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FilmGeek)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2007, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/often-pronounced-with-or-without-the-t/427868/54 "2007-11-28T02:41:52Z")
28, Midwest American, often, soffen, meer. I also say the TH in clothes, which in my mouth, is not said the same as close. ---
**Author:** ![MadPansy64](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/dc4da7/32.png) [@MadPansy64](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MadPansy64)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2007, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/often-pronounced-with-or-without-the-t/427868/55 "2007-11-28T02:51:55Z")
Of-ten, soffen, rasp-berry bushes, razz-berry candy, hanker-chiff, uh-cross, high-t, wid-th, caff, all-mund, chest-nut, comfterble, Feb-you-wary, gram-mother, gran-father, hoo, wut, and where. Little bitty rivers are pronounced cricks. 43, western US, but my neighbors and family say I’ve always talked funny. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2007, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/often-pronounced-with-or-without-the-t/427868/56 "2007-11-28T02:55:20Z")
I say “razzberry” but tend to pronounce the D in “handkerchief.” I always pronounce the D in “grandmother” and “grandfather.” How about the letter W? How do you pronounce that? I say “dubya,” but I’ve heard people say “double U.” ---
**Author:** ![DanBlather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f4b2a3/32.png) [@DanBlather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DanBlather)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2007, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/often-pronounced-with-or-without-the-t/427868/57 "2007-11-28T03:45:53Z")
50, born in Boston, English mother: offen. I think pronouncing the “t” is a sign of pretentiousness that backfires. ---
**Author:** ![amarone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@amarone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarone)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2007, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/often-pronounced-with-or-without-the-t/427868/58 "2007-11-28T03:54:31Z")
[QUOTE=indian] I used to listen to BBC world service radio and obesrved that they offen used " often". [/QUOTE] I am English and I pronounce the ‘t’, except it is more like a ‘d’, which is strange because pronuncing a t as a d is more an American thing - I have learned to ask for a glass of war-duh or the server cannot understand me. ---
**Author:** ![Paintcharge](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/paintcharge/32/7946_2.png) [@Paintcharge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paintcharge)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2007, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/often-pronounced-with-or-without-the-t/427868/59 "2007-11-28T15:53:29Z")
Sitting here and saying “raspberry”–“raspberry” over and over. I’ve got to be honest–what I say is actually “rasz perry.” ---
**Author:** ![corkboard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@corkboard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/corkboard)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2007, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/often-pronounced-with-or-without-the-t/427868/60 "2007-11-28T16:22:10Z")
[QUOTE=Paintcharge] That one confused me too. 1. From Maine. No “t” in often. It bugs me nearly as much as “accrost” and “heighth.” [/QUOTE] At least there’s a ‘t’ in often; there isn’t one in ‘across’ nor an ‘h’ in ‘height’. At least, not at the end. You know what I mean. 40, grew up in Eastern Pennsylvania, say “offen”. Wife is 40, grew up in Northern New Jersey, says “often”. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/often-pronounced-with-or-without-the-t/427868.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/often-pronounced-with-or-without-the-t/427868.md?page=4)