[i]often is now commonly pronounced with the t, so much so that I am occasionally corrected when I use the older, preferred pronunciation without the t.
*sigh* Don't tell Fal, but it's one of my pet peeves. Many seem to feel that the "t" adds an aura of sophistication and education. When it comes up with students (or I just ramble into my peeve for some reason...), I always bring up "soften" and ask if they've ever heard someone pronounce the "t" in that word. I haven't yet been told that it's been heard. Then I get to teach them "oft", so like "soft", but an oft ignored word all on its own.
Students often complain that Spanish is, get this, "harder than English". Oy. It's obvious they don't know English well (they really don't). But Spanish vowels make learning the language so much easier, because there is only the one set, no long and short. In fact, once they are learned, one can read anything in Spanish, whether one understands it or not, and pronounce every word correctly. Try that in English!
