Oftentimes or often-times: Usage Guidelines

Many writers get confused between oftentimes or often-times which are both used in everyday writing. Only one of these is correct, though. The single word is often correct, but the double word is often incorrect and not recognized by most style guides.

“Often times” versus “oftentimes” is a thing that will help you to write confidently. The improper use of the wrong version can give the impression of carelessness. Whether it’s an email, an essay, or a report, it’s important to know the proper form so that your sentences are clear, accurate, and professional.

Here’s a guide to the difference between  oftentimes or often-times and how to use “oftentimes.” There are examples, pitfall points, and fast tips to ensure that you always do it right.

Define Oftentimes

Oftentimes, an adverb that means oftentimes or often-timesmany occasions.” It is used to talk about things or actions that occur regularly. It is used by writers to indicate that an event or behavior is not unique but typical of everyday life or behavior.

Additionally, oftentimes has a rather formal air. This is a common usage in literary writing, speeches, and business communication. A teacher, for instance, could state that those students who practice every day often make quicker progress. It indicates repetition but doesn’t specify a definite number. 

Define Often Times

 oftentimes or often-times, written as two words, is not standard English. It is not commonly accepted by most dictionaries/grammar guides. It is sometimes used in informal writing and generally regarded as an error.

Furthermore, this combination of two words might appear as two separate words and cause confusion to readers, as “often” and “times” are both words by themselves. If they are merged without a reason, it results in a redundancy problem. The word “times” is superfluous in meaning to that of the word often. Many places where frequent use of the word “time” is warranted should often times—or just often—use the word.

How To Properly Use The Words In A Sentence

Always ask yourself if you are needing an adverb of frequency in oftentimes.  oftentimes or often-times “frequently” or “on many occasions” and can be used whenever you want to say that something has happened many times or that something is repeated.

How To Use Oftentimes In A Sentence

• Oftentimes is used to describe patterns, routines, and recurring events. Will be able to use for formal and informal writing. If it’s about behavior, for example, results or tendencies that occur over and over again, it fits into the sentence. 
• She is often late to complete her assignments on time.
• He oftentimes forgets to reply to messages when he is busy.
• Often the implementation takes longer than the team initially thinks.

Patterns and repetition without stating exact numbers—use often and correctly. Makes you writing sound natural and yet precise.

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How To Use Often Times In A Sentence

“Often times” should not be used twice in formal and published writing. Does not conform to normal grammatical structures. But when people use it informally, it generally means the following, and here’s how to correct it:

• Incorrect: He often times arrives at the meeting without preparation.
• Correct: Oftentimes he does not come to the meeting prepared.
• Alternative (incorrect): He doesn’t come to the meeting well-prepared.

The solution is always so easy. Use oftentimes (one word) or often (no word) instead of replacing “often times” (two words). Both options are straightforward, unambiguous, and legible. 

More Examples Of   oftentimes or often-times Used In Sentences

The difference between  oftentimes or often-times is clearly discernible from examples. Usually used as a clean adverb indicating frequency, “often times” is not the term to use and helps readers to understand patterns and recurring situations. 

Examples Of Using “Oftentimes” in a Sentence

• She likes to read for an hour before she goes to sleep at night to unwind after work.
• Beginners oftentimes make simple mistakes that are easy to fix with practice.
• The river oftentimes floods during the rainy season in this region.
• He will call his parents on Sundays to catch up with them in his effort to go over this.
• Those who study regularly tend to do well in exams.
• The leaders who listen often will receive more respect from the team.
• The old road oftentimes gets blocked due to fallen trees after storms.
• When she is in need of concentration, she will opt for coffee instead of tea often.
• Good habits oftentimes take months to build and only days to break.
• The answer is often a lot simpler than they think. 

Examples Of Often Times—And The Correct Fix

• Wrong: He frequently gets tired in the afternoon if he doesn’t eat a good breakfast.
•  Correct: He often gets drowsy in the middle of the day without breakfast.
• Wrong: They tend to miss out on reading the instructions before beginning.
•  Correct: They frequently don’t always read the instructions before working!
• Wrong: The machine tends to malfunction after prolonged use.
•  Any of the following: Oftentimes the machine breaks down after a long period of operation. Correct.
• Wrong: When she is in a hurry, she does not usually eat breakfast.
•  Correct: If she is late, she doesn’t always eat breakfast.
• Incorrect: Problems often times appear just when you think things are going well.
•  Correct: Problems oftentimes appear just when you think things are going well. 

Oftentimes or Often Times—Comparison Table With Examples

Feature	Oftentimes	Often Times
Spelling	One word	Two words
Standard Form	Yes—widely accepted	No—nonstandard
Part of Speech	Adverb	Not a recognized form
Meaning	Frequently / on many occasions	Same intent, wrong form
Formality	Formal and informal	Informal / error
Dictionary Recognized	Yes	No
Example Sentence	She oftentimes works late.	She often works late.
Better Alternative	Oftentimes / Often	Often
Used in Publishing	Yes	Rarely, and incorrectly
Recommended	Yes	No

Key takeaway: Always use “oftentimes” as one word. If it feels too formal for your tone, swap it with often. Never split it into two words.

Common Mistakes To Avoid

Many people break it up into two words, since it seems natural initially. But it is one of the most frequent grammatical errors made in writing English. Always review the form before publishing and submitting written work.

Mistake #1: Writing “Often Times” As Two Words

The most common error is splitting “more and more” into two words more and more often. For instance, if you type “I often wonder about this,” it will not be right. It forms an unnatural sentence, one that is not in grammatical form.

Rather, alternate with writing “I often wonder about this” or just “I oftentimes wonder about this. You can use either one of these as a correct answer. They do not affect the meaning of the sentence in any way.

When preparing a draft, always check it before submitting. The word oftentimes or often-timesIf it’s written one way, your writing will be more accurate and easier to read, avoiding confusion. 

Mistake #2: Overusing Oftentimes When “Often” Works Better

Another error is the use of “oftentimes,” where “often” would be a shorter word that is appropriate. In other words, when speaking informally or in emails, “often” sounds less serious and somewhat less formal than “often” does.

In the sentence “I often eat lunch at my desk,” the word “often” is the adverb. The helping verb in the sentence “I oftentimes eat lunch at my desk” is “eat.” It’s grammatically correct, but “I have a tendency to eat lunch at my desk” flows better in an informal environment. Use the appropriate word for the appropriate tone of the writing.

Tips For Avoiding These Mistakes

In order to steer clear of the confusion of “often times” versus “to oftentimes,” here are three simple checks:

• Remember “oftentimes” to “often” is always one word—never two.
• Change oftentimes to often if the tone is relaxed.
• Read your sentence aloud—if your sentence sounds clunky, simplify it. 

Context matters

Depending on the context of the writing, one or the other form should be selected. Often fits well in formal essays, reports, and professional content. For informal writing and speaking, often it is more expressive. “Often times” is not two words—use it only as a single word. 

Oftentimes

It often works best in writing that calls for a slightly formal tone. It indicates repetition of behavior or recurring events. It is easy to read and can be found in formal English for many centuries.

Also, “oftentimes” is used in literature, journalism, and public speaking. It adds a professional touch to writing without going overboard. For instance, a person might say, “Markets will correct themselves often before investors do. It’s direct, clear, and professional.

In different contexts, ‘oftentimes’ means the following:

• Often repeats patterns of behavior, outcomes, or activities.
• It is useful in professional writing, journalism, and formal writing, such as in formal essays.
• Often used correctly, it will make your writing tone precise. 

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Often Times

“Often times,” as two words, does not fit any formal context. It is used sometimes in casual online writing and is always marked as an error by editors and grammar checkers. Avoid it entirely.

Moreover, using “often times” in a professional document, academic paper, or published article makes the writing look unpolished. Readers/Editors recognize this error. The fix can be done in a second: Erase the space or simply change the two words to often.

In different scenarios, it often fails for the following reasons:

• It produces a superfluous phrase that grammarians refer to as nonstandard.
• It will confuse readers who are used to seeing regular forms of the adverbs.
• Using it in place of “oftentimes” or “often” will make any sentence better.

Knowing when and why, oftentimes, is wrong will prevent you from making common writing mistakes. When that adverb fits, use “often,” and maintain clear, believable writing.

Exceptions To The Rules

The rules are obvious for  oftentimes or often-times but there are some exceptions. Often times is recorded twice in historical texts and old English text, and can be used as two words in some local dialects. This doesn’t mean that it is right according to modern standards.

Likewise, some informal online venues and social media posts utilize it often without error. Knowing about these exceptions, you will know when you see them that you’ve made a mistake, and you will not make the same mistake in your own work.

Oftentimes

• In older and classic literature, compound adverbs were often expanded to two words: literary use. The word “often” in a 19th-century novel is not a word that is acceptable for use in modern writing.
• Stylistic Use: In creative writing, some writers often use “oftentimes” for emphasis and/or rhythm. This can be a good style as long as it remains one word. 

Often Times

Often times it appears in two specific exceptions, though neither one makes it correct in standard writing.

• Historical English: Early Modern English texts sometimes used “often times” as two words. This reflects older grammar conventions that no longer apply today.
• Informal Digital Writing: Blog comments, social media posts, and casual texts may include “often times” without correction. This reflects the relaxed standards of informal writing, not correct grammar.

Recognizing these exceptions helps you understand why the mistake is so common. But in any writing that matters—reports, essays, emails, articles—always use “oftentimes” as one word.

Practice Exercises

Practice exercises help you lock in the correct form of  oftentimes or often-times. By completing fill-in-the-blank, sentence writing, and multiple-choice activities, you build the habit of choosing the right form every time—in professional and everyday writing.

Exercise 1: Fill In The Blank

Fill in the blanks with the correct word:  oftentimes or often-times

1. She __________ checks her phone first thing in the morning.
2. The best ideas __________ come when you stop trying so hard.
3. He __________ stays up past midnight when he has a deadline.
4. __________ the simplest solution is the one that works best.
5. They __________ disagree on small details but agree on the big picture.

Answer Key:

1. oftentimes / often
2. oftentimes / often
3. oftentimes / often
4. Oftentimes / Often
5. oftentimes / often

(Both are correct in each sentence. ” Often times” as two words is never correct.

Exercise 2: Sentence Writing

Write a sentence using each of the following words correctly:

Word	Example Sentence
Oftentimes	She oftentimes forgets to save her work before closing the laptop.
Often	He often takes a short walk after lunch to clear his head.
Oftentimes	Good leaders are oftentimes the ones who ask more questions than they answer.
Often	The best solutions are often the ones nobody thought of first.
Oftentimes	She oftentimes volunteers on weekends because she enjoys giving back to her community.

Exercise 3: Multiple Choice

Choose the correct word or phrase for each sentence.

1. __________ is an adverb that means “frequently” or “on many occasions.”

A) Often times

B) Oftentimes 

2. Which version is accepted in formal writing?

A) Often times

B) Oftentimes 

3. “He often times arrives late to meetings” should be corrected to:

A) He oftentimes arrives late to meetings 

B) Leave it as written

4. “Often times” as two words is considered

A) Standard English

B) Nonstandard and incorrect 

5. Which word can always replace “oftentimes” without changing the meaning?

A) Always

B) Often 

People Also Ask

Question	Short Answer
Is it often one word or two?	“Oftentimes” is always one word. “”Often times,” written as two words, is nonstandard and grammatically incorrect.
What is the meaning of oftentimes?	“Oftentimes” means frequently or on many occasions. It is an adverb describing repeated actions or events.
Can I use often instead of oftentimes?	Yes. “Often” and “oftentimes” mean the same thing and are interchangeable in almost all writing contexts.
Is often times correct grammar?	No. “Oftentimes” as one word is standard grammar. Use “oftentimes” or “often” instead.
Is oftentimes a formal word?	Yes, it leans slightly formal. In casual writing, “often” is simpler and works just as well.
Where did it often come from?	“Oftentimes” is an old English adverb that has been in use since the Middle Ages to mean “frequently.”

Conclusion

Figuring out the difference between oftentimes or often-times is not that hard. The first option is “oftentimes,” which is one word and the correct choice. Most people agree that this is the way to go. The second option, “times,” is not the standard way to write it, and most guides and editors do not like it.

If you do some exercises and answer questions about this, you will get a sense of how to use it correctly. Just remember that you should write either the word “oftentimes” or the word “often” depending on what you’re trying to say. Using “oftentimes” correctly makes your writing look really good. Using “often” correctly also makes your writing look really good. The correct use of “oftentimes” makes your writing very good.

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FAQs

What is the difference between oftentimes and often times?

“Oftentimes” is one word and is the correct adverb form. Often times, written as two words, it is nonstandard and should be avoided in any formal or published writing.

When should I use oftentimes in a sentence?

Use “oftentimes” to describe repeated actions, habits, or recurring events, such as when explaining patterns in behavior, outcomes, or daily routines.

When should I avoid it often?

Avoid “often times” in any written context. It is not a recognized standard form. Replace it with “often” or “frequently” depending on the tone of your writing.

Can oftentimes appear in legal or professional writing?

Yes. Often works in formal documents, essays, and professional reports. It signals repeated patterns or tendencies in a clear and accepted way.

How can I stop mixing up “oftentimes” and “often times”?

Remember that “oftentimes” is one word. If unsure, replace it with often. Practice reading sentences out loud to catch any awkward or incorrect phrasing before publishing.