often

often, frequently, oft, oftentimes may be used with little or no distinction to mean again and again in more or less close succession. But often stresses the number of times a thing occurs, without regard to the interval of recurrence; frequently usually stresses repetition, especially at short intervals

{

he came often

}

{

he called frequently

}

{

the disease is often fatal

}

{

I frequently examined the color of the snow— Tyndall

}

{

you will often find this to be true

}

{

unless you write me more frequently I shall feel out of touch with you

}

Oft and oftentimes differ little from often; oft, however, is used chiefly in compound adjectives

{

the oft-told tale of her hairbreadth escape— Cerf

}

{

an oft quoted statement

}

or occasionally in formal discourse

{

seemingly trifling events oft carry in their train great consequences— Coolidge

}

and oftentimes is occasionally preferred for intonational reasons

{

a sense of humor which was sometimes loud, oftentimes lewd, but never deliberately unkind— Metalious

}