How prevalent is the silent "t"

Sat Jun 9 16:25:42 UTC 2007

Back in the 50"s my grade school teacher said the "t" is not pronounced in
"often" as well.  So it was AWE-fin.  Now adays many say AH-fin or AH-ftin.
I've heard AH-strich ~aastrich lately, where I and my father say AWE-strich
~austrich.  I've also heard "Cloddy" ~klaadee for "cloudy" ~kloudee.

I'd say "ah" ~aa is easier to say than "awe" ~au or "ow" ~ou.  The sound
"ah" is the most popular vowel in other languages. (truespel book one,
authorhouse.com)

Tom Zurinskas, USA - CT20, TN3, NJ33, FL5+
See truespel.com - and the 4  truespel books plus "Occasional Poems" at
authorhouse.com.

>From: Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at YAHOO.COM>
>Reply-To: American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
>Subject: Re: How prevalent is the silent "t"
>Date: Sat, 9 Jun 2007 06:42:38 -0700
>
>---------------------- Information from the mail header
>-----------------------
>Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>Poster:       Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at YAHOO.COM>
>Subject:      Re: How prevalent is the silent "t"
>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>My grade-school teachers made it clear that pronouncing the "t" was a bad
>thing.
>
>   Not as bad as communism, but bad.
>
>   JL
>
>Wilson Gray <hwgray at GMAIL.COM> wrote:
>   ---------------------- Information from the mail header
>-----------------------
>Sender: American Dialect Society
>Poster: Wilson Gray
>Subject: Re: How prevalent is the silent "t"
>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>I was taught that "often" was to be pronounced as though spelled
>"offen," back in the '40's. In the second grade, I was even given
>unmitigated shit by Sr. Claire Marie for hyphenating it as "of-ten,"
>though she didn't bother tell me how it ought to have been hyphenated.
>I've lost sleep over this conundrum for more than sixty years.
>
>FWIW, I've always considered the t-ful version to be a spelling
>pronunciation.
>
>-Wilson
>
>On 6/8/07, Marc Sacks wrote:
> > ---------------------- Information from the mail header
>-----------------------
> > Sender: American Dialect Society
> > Poster: Marc Sacks
> > Subject: Re: How prevalent is the silent "t"
> >
>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >
> > Tom Zurinskas asked:
> >
> > >
> > > I'm just wondering about the pronunciation of words like
>'entertainment'
> > > 'center' 'international' I mostly hear these words pronounced by
>dropping
> > > the middle 't' so it would sound like enertainment, cener, and
> > > inernational.
> > > But there are also others who would pronounced these words without
> > > dropping
> > > the middle 't' could anyone know where the pronunciation originated
>and
> > > how
> > > come others won't drop the middle 't' although I'm not saying it's
>wrong,
> > > just wanna know so that if someone would ask the difference atleast I
> > > would
> > > know the answer. Thanks in advance guys.
> > >
> > I just want to add the word "often" to the question. My
>elementary-school
> > teachers always insisted the "t" in "often" was silent, but many people
> > pronounce it. I don't know that it's a regional difference, since my son
> > pronounces the "t" while my wife and I don't, and I never noticed a
> > prevalence for one or the other, at least around Boston.
> >
> > Marc Sacks
> > msacks at theworld.com
> > > authorhouse.com.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >>From: "Landau, James"
> > >>Reply-To: American Dialect Society
> > >>To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
> > >>Subject: Re: "cigarette bat" referred to as "schoocher"?
> > >>Date: Thu, 7 Jun 2007 12:16:34 -0400
> > >>
> > >>---------------------- Information from the mail header
> > >>-----------------------
> > >>Sender: American Dialect Society
> > >>Poster: "Landau, James"
> > >>Subject: Re: "cigarette bat" referred to as "schoocher"?
> >
> >>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> > >>
> > >>The name "cigarette" bat suggests something is on fire, so could
> > >>"schoocher" be a variant of "scorcher"?
> > >>
> > >> - Jim Landau
> > >>
> > >>-----Original Message-----
> > >>From: Sarah Lang [mailto:slang at UCHICAGO.EDU]
> > >>Sent: Wednesday, June 06, 2007 4:56 AM
> > >>Subject: "cigarette bat" referred to as "schoocher"?
> > >>
> > >>So I just heard this term today and I cannot find a record of it
> > >>anywhere (I tried possible variant spellings, or even
>mispronunciation).
> > >>Is anyone familiar with "schoocher"? (Scoob/ed is the only thing I can
> > >>find that is even somewhat related . . . .)
> > >>
> > >>S.
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>--------------------
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> > >>http://theworkofdays.com
> > >>
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>
>--
>All say, "How hard it is that we have to die"---a strange complaint to
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>-----
>-Sam'l Clemens
>
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