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.

What is the meaning of how often?

Often means “frequently,” like if you see your friends every day, you see each other often. The adverb often can mean “in great quantities,” like you often stop by the donut shop, you might be shocked to realize you’ve been there hundreds of times in the last few years.

How do you pronounce “often” and “mustn’t”?

“Mustn’t” is pronounced MUH-sint. (Note the first “t” is not pronounced.) No one knows why but the word was first used in 1697 and been pronounced that way since then. “Often” is pronounced OFF-in. At times, English can seem crazy.

Why is the T in “often” pronounced with a T?

As you might guess, the t was pronounced in the past, when the word began as a variant of oft (also spelled ofte in Middle English), which was the more common form until the 1500s. Oft is now archaic for most of the senses of often, but is still used in compound adjectives like oft-repeated and oft-quoted.

Is the T silent in ‘often’?

Generally the ‘t’ is silent like in ‘hasten’ and ‘soften’ but today some people still pronounce it. Learn more about the changing pronunciation of ‘often.’ Often has a medial /t/ that, like similar words such has ‘hasten’ and ‘soften,’ was once pronounced and is now typically silent.

What is the correct pronunciation of ȮF-tən?

The pronunciation (ȯf-tən), which is not recognized in dictionaries, is now frequent in the south of England, and is often used in singing. The pronunciation ȯf-tən, until recently generally considered as more or less illiterate, is not uncommon among the educated in some sections, and is often used in singing.