How to pronounce “often”
You have likely heard two pronunciations of this word from your English speaking friends:
/AH fuhn/ with a silent “t”,
and,
/AHF tuhn/ with the “t” pronounced.
Which one is correct?
The answer is…. both. But actually, the first option with a silent “t” is technically correct today. How can this be?
The answer can be found by considering the history of this word, language change, and conventional use. Pronunciation of the word “often”, before 1500, included the /T/ sound. This is because the origin of this word is “oft” with no “-en” ending. In this earlier form of the word, the /T/ was fully pronounced, as in “oft-quoted”. This is an archaic form that is no longer used.
In later years the “-en” suffix was added and the /T/ sound was lost. You can find this pattern in many words including hasten, soften, and fasten. The “t” is not pronounced in any of these words.
However, over the years pronunciation of often has varied in its inclusion of the /T/, with it falling in and out of fashion. For example, many high-class, education speakers in 17th century England pronounced the /T/. This pronunciation has been in flux for hundreds of years, with the most recent prescriptions calling for its removal. A 1934 edition of Webster’s Second calls the pronunciation of often with a /T/ to be incorrect and stigmatized.
You may hear English speakers today pronouncing both versions of often. Although I am not aware of any survey that specifically addresses the frequency of either form, I hear often with a /T/ about half the time.
Language is a convention. This means that the content of language depends on use. If half of the population pronounces often with a /T/ while the dictionary lists the technically correct pronunciation without a /T/, how can we say with real confidence which form is correct?
To my international clients studying pronunciation, I suggest using the version without a /T/ for simplicity. There are several words in English that follow this pattern with a silent /T/, listed above, and you will ultimately experience less confusion and have more success by sticking to the pattern.
Source:
Merriam-Webster. How to Pronounce “Often”. https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/correct-pronunciation-of-often