It is becoming more common to pronounce the letter "T" in the word often. I must say this is a huge pet peeve of mine.

The stem word for often is "oft" --in which the t is pronounced. But when the ending "en" is added, the t sound is lost (though it remains in the spelling). There are, in fact, MANY examples of this sort of shift in English and in every other case the t becomes silent when followed by an -en or -le.
For example, soft (pronounced) vs. soften (silent).
More examples:

• list -> listen;
• glisten;
• fast [as in 'held fast/secure'] -> fasten;
• haste -> hasten;
• moist > moisten;
• chaste -> chasten;
• nest -> nestle;
• castle; mistletoe; whistle;
• wrest -> wrestle;
• trestle; gristle; thistle;
• Christ -> Christmas

Unfortunately, so many people started to pronounce the "t" that many regard is as an acceptable alternative, in certain dialects. That's the way language goes, I suppose, if enough people make the same mistake for long enough that it is no longer a mistake!
I hope this proves my point. If you found this interesting, here's a couple links that might interest you:

10 Mispronunciations that make you sound stupid
10 Simple Ways to Make Your Boss Think You're Brilliant
120 Ways to Boost Your Brain Power

Posted in Labels: education, linkdump, nerdy Posted by Super at 11:02 AM