Table of Contents
Do you pronounce the T in the word often?
The \t\ is silent. Why? Often has a medial /t/ that, like similar words such has “hasten” and “soften,” was once pronounced and is now typically silent. Unlike the similar words, pronouncing the “t” in “often” has returned in some modern usage.
Is it pronounced Offen or often?
Both pronunciations for OFTEN are found in the dictionary. Therefore both are correct. (variant pronunciations) Actual pronunciation is usually /ɔf·ən/ and this is the preferred pronunciation. For some reason, many people think they should pronounce most English words as written.
Why T is silent in often?
A: The short answer is that the “t” in many words is silent because it’s too difficult or awkward to pronounce and has become assimilated into the surrounding consonants. As we said in our blog posting about “often,” the word can be properly pronounced either with or without a “t” sound.
How is often pronounced in America?
This is a word I hear pronounced both ways, often (no t sound), and often (with a t sound). The Longman Pronunciation Dictionary’s 1993 preference poll says that 78% of Americans prefer the no t option. If this is true, the aw sound is the pronunciation most often used: often.
How is February pronounced?
In the United States, the most common pronunciation is feb-yoo-air-ee. Both Merriam-Webster and American Heritage dictionaries consider the common pronunciation correct, along with the less common, more traditional standard feb-roo-air-ee. This gets fans of the traditional standard all worked up.
Is F silent in often?
A: The word “often” can be pronounced with a silent “t” (the more common pronunciation) or with an audible “t.” How “correct” is the second pronunciation? That depends on the dictionary you consult. Both are correct, according to The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (4th ed.).
What is the correct way to pronounce the word often?
A: The word “often” can be pronounced with a silent “t” (the more common pronunciation) or with an audible “t.” How “correct” is the second pronunciation? That depends on the dictionary you consult. Both are correct, according to The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (4th ed.).
How do I improve my pronunciation?
Here’s How to Improve Your Pronunciation: Start by learning individual sounds. These are called phonemes. Use minimal pairs to practice individual vowel sounds. Minimal pairs are words in which only one sound changes. For example, pop – pep – pip – pap changes the vowel sound.
Should I pronounce the “T” in often?
I always pronounce the “t” in “often”, sometimes pronounce it for “soften” (depending on whether or not I’m reading), and for the latter three I sometimes pronounce the “t” as a glottal stop (almost always in “christen”, almost never in “fasten”).
Do you pronounce the T in the word “often”?
Okay, so “often” is when it gets a little complicated because of the history of this word. Originally, in the 1700s, “often” was pronounced with a T, and then they stopped pronouncing it with a T. They pronounced it “offen”. And then, people started to pronounce it with T again.