Long standing argument, please help to settle this once and for all!

[sensiblehead]

For a very long time now (10 years or more!) we have had a "discussion" at family gatherings - usually after the wine has gone round a few times!

So, here it is...

Is the word soften pronounced, "sofen" or "soften"?

Oh, and I would be really grateful to also know why it is pronounced that way please!

Sofen definately!

Thank you everyone, I am very impressed with the number of you awake at that time of night!

People up north sound the gs (or "g"s, but not "g's", at least not in Pedants' Corner) in "singing" - "sing-ging-g". I don't mind that so much, but "somethink", and "anythink" make me grimace.

Soffen - in answer to your question why it's not like 'often'. I have these discussions all the time with my Spanish DH - English often does not make sense! My Granny used to go mad at people putting an extra 'r' into 'drawing'. I don't know if I did it before but i always think of it now!

I hate that too - drawring, withdrawral - especially when I hear TV journalists doing it. If people want to say "drawring-pin" why don't they also say "chewring-gum" or "mowring the lawn"?

And then there's Laura Norder...

soffen

you don't get fabric sofTener do you? you get fabric soffner

The only time I can think of right now where you would pronounce the T would be in the word Softly

(but then again, I am from Manchester and we notoriously drop our Ts at the best of times )

Another vote for soffen (but ofTen)