How many syllables are in “often”?

“Often” has 2 syllables: AW-fuhn.

What is the IPA for “often”?

The American English IPA transcription of “often” is ˈɔfən.

How can I practice pronouncing “often”?

Press play to hear “often” spoken by our AI model, then record yourself on this page to get an instant pronunciation score — your first try needs no account.

American English pronunciation

How to pronounce often

/ˈɔfən/AW-fuhn2 syllables

“often” is one of those English words that looks nothing like it sounds. It's 2 syllables (AW-fuhn), and the trick is in the sounds below — hear it, then say it back and let our AI model show you how close you landed.

Say it & get scored

Hear often, then record yourself and our AI model will score your pronunciation, sound by sound.

The sounds to nail

/ɔ/as in thought
Round the lips and pull the tongue back; longer than 'ah'.
/f/as in fish
Upper teeth touch lower lip; air flows through with no voice.
/ʌ/as in cup
Relaxed central vowel (sometimes a schwa /ə/ when unstressed). Don't pronounce the full vowel in unstressed syllables.

Trickier for some first languages

The sounds in “often” are common stumbling blocks for speakers of:

Russian speakers →French speakers →

Common questions

How many syllables are in “often”?: “Often” has 2 syllables: AW-fuhn.
What is the IPA for “often”?: The American English IPA transcription of “often” is ˈɔfən.
How can I practice pronouncing “often”?: Press play to hear “often” spoken by our AI model, then record yourself on this page to get an instant pronunciation score — your first try needs no account.

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