I was counselled for saying "of-ten" in a talk. I was told that the "t" was silent and that I had pronounced a hard "t". Since I was considered one of the best female speakers in the cong., it was imperative that I research my pronunciations because others might emulate me and it would be an embarrassment if someone misspoke in the field because they were copying my speech.
No joke. All that because I said "of-ten."
BTW, the elder was wrong. According to Merriam-Webster, I can pronounce it either way:
- Main Entry:
- of·ten
- Pronunciation:
- \ ' o ? -f?n, ÷ ' o ? f-t?n\
- Function:
- adverb
- Etymology:
- Middle English, alteration of oft
- Date:
- 14th century