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From: devine@asgb.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.nlang
Subject: How do you pronounce 'often'?
Message-ID: <541@asgb.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 6-Sep-84 20:49:06 EDT
Article-I.D.: asgb.541
Posted: Thu Sep  6 20:49:06 1984
Date-Received: Wed, 12-Sep-84 03:29:52 EDT
Distribution: net.misc
Organization: Burroughs Corporation, San Diego
Lines: 14


  More and more often I hear people pronounce the word 'often'
as 'OFF-TEN' rather than 'OFF-FEN'.  There seems to be no strong
regional preference here in the US.  Oftentimes, usage seems
random, varying by individual choice not background.

  The use of off-ten distracts me away from what the person is
saying! How do you pronounce it?  Mail me your choice and some
indication where you were brought up and are now living. I'll
post the results in a few weeks.

Bob Devine  (..!ihnp4!sdcrdcf!bmcg!asgb!devine)
Burroughs Advance Systems Group in Boulder, CO.