Date:  Sun, 30 Nov 1997 17:51:54 -0500
From:  Beverly Flanigan <FLANIGAN[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]OUVAXA.CATS.OHIOU.EDU>
Subject: Re: of(t)en and "is all"

  A colleague of mine from Akron (near the western NY State border)
  pronounces the /t/ in 'often'; but she also says 'better' with a [t]
  rather than a flap. Since I suspect the latter is "affected," I have
  wondered if the former is too--but maybe not.

  BTW, a visiting colleague (about 64) from London via Africa also says
  'often' with a /t/. He claims he speaks not RP ("oh heavens no") but
  Educated Standard (London) English--learned in school, not in his
  London home neighborhood. How does this jibe with Mr. Suleiman's
  observation? Is it age-graded?