[aw-fuh
n, of-uhn; awf-tuhn, of-] 
| 1. | many times; frequently: He visits his parents as often as he can. |
| 2. | in many cases. |
| 3. | Archaic. frequent. |
[t] came to predominate in the speech of the educated, in both North America and Great Britain, and the earlier pronunciation fell into disfavor. Common use of a spelling pronunciation has since restored the [t] for many speakers, and today [aw-fuhn] and [awf-tuhn] [or [of-uhn] and [of-tuhn]] exist side by side. Although it is still sometimes criticized, often with a [t] is now so widely heard from educated speakers that it has become fully standard once again.| of·ten (ô'fən, ŏf'ən, ôf'tən, ŏf'-) adv. of·ten·er, of·ten·est Many times; frequently. [Middle English, alteration (probably influenced by selden, seldom) of oft, from Old English; see upo in Indo-European roots.] Usage Note: During the 15th century English experienced a widespread loss of certain consonant sounds within consonant clusters, as the (d) in handsome and handkerchief, the (p) in consumption and raspberry, and the (t) in chestnut and often. In this way the consonant clusters were simplified and made easier to articulate. With the rise of public education and literacy and, consequently, people's awareness of spelling in the 19th century, sounds that had become silent sometimes were restored, as is the case with the t in often, which is now frequently pronounced. In other similar words, such as soften and listen, the t generally remains silent. |
