How Do You Spell OFTENTIMES?

Pronunciation: [ˈɒfɪntˌa͡ɪmz] (IPA)

The spelling of the word "oftentimes" is quite interesting because it doesn't necessarily follow the typical English pronunciation rules. The IPA phonetic transcription of the word is /ˈɔː.fən.taɪmz/, which shows that the "o" in "often" is pronounced as a long "o" sound and that the "en" is pronounced as a stress syllable. The "times" part is pronounced as expected, with a long "i" sound. Although the spelling may seem odd, "oftentimes" is a commonly used word in English and has been in use since the 14th century.

OFTENTIMES Meaning and Definition

  1. Oftentimes is an adverb that refers to the frequent occurrence or regular repetition of particular actions, events, or circumstances. It is often used to indicate that something happens many times or on many occasions. Oftentimes can be seen as a synonym for frequently, often, or commonly, but it emphasizes the regularity or repeated nature of an action or occurrence.

    The word "oftentimes" is derived from the combination of the words "often" and "times." The inclusion of "times" signifies the multiplicity or recurrence of an event, while "often" emphasizes the frequency or regularity of its occurrence. Together, these words create an adverb that functions to describe how frequently or repeatedly something happens.

    For example, one might say, "Oftentimes, I see squirrels running across my backyard." This sentence suggests that the person frequently observes this phenomenon, implying that it happens on many occasions.

    In summary, "oftentimes" is an adverb used to describe the regular or repeated occurrence of an action, event, or circumstance. It emphasizes the frequency or multiplicity of an occurrence, similar to words like frequently or often, but with a specific focus on the repeated nature of the action or event.

  2. Frequently.

    Etymological and pronouncing dictionary of the English language. By Stormonth, James, Phelp, P. H. Published 1874.

Top Common Misspellings for OFTENTIMES *

* The statistics data for these misspellings percentages are collected from over 15,411,110 spell check sessions on www.spellchecker.net from Jan 2010 - Jun 2012.

Other Common Misspellings for OFTENTIMES

Etymology of OFTENTIMES

The word "oftentimes" has its roots in Old English. It is a combination of the words "often" (meaning frequently) and "times" (meaning occasions). "Often" derived from the Old English word "oft", which means frequently or many times. The addition of "times" to "often" created the compound word "oftentimes", which has been used since the 14th century to mean frequently or often.

Similar spelling words for OFTENTIMES

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