Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Captain Corea]

I was teaching a class the other day and working through a news article. When I read the word "often" one of my students corrected me and said that I should never pronounce the "t". I was kind of surprised, and he explained that in school they were taught that it is always silent.

IMO you can either pronounce it or not. Personally I think it sounds a little low class to say offen, but to each his own. So, do you pronounce the "T" in Often?

[denverdeath]

A few years ago, some foreigner told me that ofTEN was preferred a long time ago, but that ofFEN is more correct/common these days. Regardless, I always say ofTEN(and have always done so) and tell students that either is okay.

[Thunndarr]

http://www.randomhouse.com/wotd/index.pperl?date=20000602

[Big Mac]

I certainly think you should pronounce the "t," but I think that a lot of us will naturally say it without the "t" because of what I call "lazy English."

It's in the same category as substituting "wanna" instead of "want to" or "gonna" instead of "going to" or dropping the "g" on words like "leavin'," or "goin'."

In all these cases I think you will always sound much more intelligent if you say it properly.

We really should be teaching the children the intelligent pronunciation, not the slangy version....which may have its time and place, but not in the classroom.

[gypsyfish]

Both are okay. It's not a matter of intelligence.

I don't pronounce the /t/. I don't pronounce the /t/ in listen, either.

There's a very punny scene in the Pirates of Penzance where Major-General Stanley questions the Pirate King as to whether he has said oafun like frequently or like without parents. Clearly no /t/ sound there.

[denverdeath]

From:

http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=often

[ilovebdt]

It depends where you come from. I don't pronounce the T in often.

[chuknnjivn]

I usually pronounce the T in often, but I have never heard it pronounced in listen. I sometimes pronounce the P in consumption, but have never heard it pronounced in raspberry.

[J.B. Clamence]

[Captain Corea]

Thanks for the relies to htis guys.

For me, I pronounce the "t" kind of followed by an "i". As in off-tin, but yeah, I was wondering if the pronunciation was regional.

[Francis-Pax]

Pronouncing the T really depends on where you come from. I don't think there is one right answer to this unless you are an English imperialist.

[some waygug-in]

I say it both ways, without the T in my normal conversation, but with the T for classes. If I were ever asked I would say both are OK.

If the student wants to argue about it, ask if he is often awfully awful or just awfully often awfully awful or .....

[jinks]

The T in often is like the K in knife and the B in doubt - and as gypsyfish pointed out - the T in listen. It is a spelling convention, not a pronunciation point. Big Mac is coming at it from the wrong angle by saying that NOT pronouncing the T is slangy, or lazy speech. However, I would not correct anyone [native speaker or learner] who sounded the T in often. I would correct a speaker - if I were his/her teacher who pronounced the K,B or T in knife, doubt or listen.
It is not a biggie, but please don't confuse [historically] correct pronunciation with lazy or slangy speech.

[VanIslander]

Teaching variation of use is important to understanding and communication.

My students know the Gershwin tune:

Quote:

You say eether And I say eyether, You say neether And I say nyther, Eether, eyether, neether, nyther, Let's call the whole thing off! You like potato and I like potahto, You like tomato and I like tomahto, Potato, potahto, tomato, tomahto, Let's call the whole thing off!

So I just say "tomato/tomahto" and repeat with the word at issue: "twenty/twenny", "forget/ferget"" etc.

[gypsyfish]

Here's my dictionary. You don't have to register for it and it has BOTH pronunciations because it isn't a matter of laziness, intelligence, or slang.

http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/often