Fourty или forty как правильно пишется

A lot of people are not sure whether to spell the number 40 as forty or fourty. There is a misconception that fourty is British spelling while forty is the American version. However, the reality is different from this fallacy. There is only one spelling correct, regardless of region. Let’s learn the difference between forty vs. forty and find out which version is correct.

When to Use Forty

Forty (40) is a numerical digit or number that follows 39 and precedes 41. Forty is the only correct spelling for the number 40 in the current times. While it is linked to the number four (4), the letter “U” is missing in this spelling. Let’s find out how forty lost its “U.”

How Forty Lost the “U”

Forty is an old English word, which became fourty in its early history. At the beginning of the 15th century, numerous vowel shifts happened, which reflected dialects and admitted ways of speaking and writing. During this time, both spellings and pronunciation of countless English words changed, and fourty was one of them. Thus fourty became forty as we know today.

So the word forty is the accurate way to spell the number 40 now.

 Examples of Forty in Sentences

• I am so hungry that I can eat forty hot dogs.
• My mother is forty-eight years old.
• They have a staff of about forty people.
• He was one of the forty martyrs of England.
• A fool at forty is a fool indeed.
• I have to drive forty miles in a day.
• There are forty students in the classroom.
• We invited forty people, but only twenty came.
• My company is listed in the top forty companies in Australia.
• In India, the temperature sometimes reaches up to forty degrees celsius.
• They are both now forty years old.
• I can record forty songs in a day.
• It is said that she could write and speak forty languages.
• At the age of forty, she is having a baby.
• This skeleton is around forty years old.
• I took your name about forty times.

When to Use Fourty

As mentioned above, fourty is an old English spelling, which is not in use since the beginning of the 19th century. It’s an incorrect spelling of forty, and you should never use it. It is also not an accurate spelling in British English. 

As no dictionary today accepts this spelling version, using it will be considered a mistake in any context. 

How to Remember the Right Spelling

The spelling of forty (40) today is only one example of numerous twists and turns in the English language during the 15th century. Forty is an important word that is used in several areas, such as entertainment, sports, religions, etc. If you often forget its spelling, you can remember that forty contains the word for, and forty is accurate for everyone.

It’s a common complaint among people who are learning English that the language lacks consistency. English was spoken in both the Old and New Worlds at a time when rapid communication across long distances was impossible, which has led to a differing and sometimes contradictory set of conventions.

The same word can be spelled differently in American and British English, for instance. This duality can be confusing, but not every word has multiple spellings.

Many people aren’t sure whether to write the number 40 as forty or fourty. It’s a common misconception that fourty is conventional in British English, while forty is the Americanized version.

However, only one of these spellings is correct, regardless of region.

What is the Difference Between Forty and Fourty?

How do you spell 40? In this article, I’ll explain the difference between these two words, and reveal whether forty or fourty is the correct spelling. I’ll use the correct term in a sentence and tell you an easy trick to remember the difference.

When to Use Forty

Contrary to popular belief, there is only one correct spelling of the number 40.

Forty is the proper way to spell the number, and fourty is always incorrect. It’s easy to see why this would be confusing, since the base number is four, and the U isn’t dropped from other numbers like fourteen or even forty-four. While there are British and American spellings of some words, forty is not one of them.

The following sentences are correct:

• Jon drove forty miles per hour in a thirty-five mile per hour zone.
• Amanda ate forty hot dogs.
• Melinda is forty-six years old.
• The site has about forty full-time employees, mostly in New York, where the publication is based, and so far they have worked with more than nine hundred athletes, Robertson told me. –The New Yorker

When to Use Fourty

You should never use fourty. It is an incorrect spelling of forty. Fourty is not correct in British or American English, and it appears to have never been the correct spelling.

When writing out the number 40, forty is the only correct option. As you can see from the following chart, if fourty was ever used in proper English, it must have been well before 1800:

This chart is not exhaustive of all written texts, as it only reflects data from books written in English since 1800, and no other print sources. However, it is certainly thorough enough to see that the use of fourty to signify the number 40 has not been nonexistent since at least the beginning of the 19th century.

Although fourty is universally rejected, it still finds its way into the writing of those who should know better.

• Fourty-four states, plus the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands, can participate in Mega Millions. –Staten Island Advance

Fourty vs. Forty – Trick to Remember the Difference

Forty dollars or fourty dollars? Forty is the written form of the number 40. Fourty is a spelling error for Americans and Britons alike.

You can remember to always use forty by noticing that forty contains the word for, and forty is correct for everyone. Fourty is never a correct spelling.

Summary: Forty vs. Fourty

Is it forty or fourty? While there are some words in English that have multiple spellings, forty isn’t one of them.

Fourty is not a word, and forty is the only way to spell the written form of the number 40.

The decision to use fourty or forty is therefore an easy one. Use the memory trick “forty is for everyone” to remember the proper spelling, or you can always refer back to this article.

What is the difference between fourty and forty?

When it comes to spelling numbers, one of the most common mistakes we see involves the number 40. You know–– the amount that’s ten more than 30 and ten less than 50? We are happy to say that no matter the topic, the correct modern spelling of 40 is forty, not fourty. Period. 

It’s forty, not fourty

The English Language spells the number 4 as ‘four,’ 14 as ‘fourteen,’ but 40 as ‘forty.’ Seems confusing, right? To clarify, here’s a quick breakdown of how to write numbers containing the number four: 

• 4: four
• 14: fourteen 
• 40: forty
• 44: forty-one 
• 42: forty-two
• 43: forty-three
• 44: forty-four 
• 45: forty-five 
• 46: forty-six
• 47: forty-seven
• 48: forty-eight
• 49: forty-nine
• 400: four hundred
• 440: four hundred and forty 
• 4,000: four thousand
• 4,000,000: four million 

We think you get the picture. 

When did fourty become forty?

Outside of numerical spelling differences, English writers also grapple with spelling changes over time. For instance, if you lived between the 12th and 15th centuries, you wouldn’t be wrong to use ‘fourty’ instead of ‘forty.’ 

As far as we can tell, the current spelling forty accompanied other spelling variants during the 16th century, such as ‘fourtie,’ ‘fortie,’ or ‘vorty.’ But even before Modern English, the number’s spelling was a mess. 

‘Fourthy,’ ‘forti,’ ‘fourty,’ and ‘feowrti’ are just four out of 18 different spellings that occurred at the time, and among these Middle English variants came the spelling of ‘forty,’ which became the primary Modern English spelling by the 18th century. 

Whether this change occurred from a historical pronunciation change or “standardized” English, the facts remain unclear. But we can say one thing with absolute certainty: forty vs. fourty has nothing to do with American English vs. British English. And for that, we can be thankful. 

What does forty mean?

The word forty is a cardinal number ‘equal to 4 X 10’ (40), or it involves other numbers between forty to forty-nine (40-49). English speakers use the word forty as an adjective or noun to describe anything quantifiable–– whether it’s age, speed, garment size, etc. 

For example, 

“The Google domain costs forty dollars.” 
“She is a forty-year-old woman.” 
“He wears size forty-two.”

Additional meanings of ‘forty’

The plural form of forty is “forties,” which might imply an era of one’s life or the historical period of the 1940s’. For example, 

“I can’t wait until my forties.” 
“Polaroid cameras opened a new world of photography in the nineteen-forties.” 

According to Lexico, “the Forties” also represents the central North Sea between Scotland and southern Norway, as the sea depth supposedly begins at forty fathoms. 

“Father’s oil ship is passing through the Forties.” 

We can also use the word “fortieth” (40th) to describe 40 consecutive events or intervals, while the word “fortyish” implies a range of numbers near the amount of forty. For example, 

“Today is our fortieth wedding anniversary.” 
“There are about fortyish people at the event.” 

Lastly, the word “fortyfold” is an adjective and adverb that describes ‘forty times as big or as much.’ For example, 

“Within the first decade of settlement, New York’s population expanded fortyfold.” 

Synonyms

Quadfragenarian, quadragesimal. 

Etymology of forty

The Middle English adjective forty entered the English Language via Old English fēowertig and Northumbrian feuortig. Old English fēowertig means “40” and consists of fēower for ‘four’ and -tig ‘group of tīen (10).’ 

English phrases of forty

The word forty carries several connotations outside of the classic number. In the United States, people use numbers 40-49 to reference U.S. presidents, gun calibers, or simply “forty” to mean a ‘40 oz. bottle of beer or malt liquor.’ 

Americans also use phrases like “forty winks” (circa 1821) to mean ‘a brief nap,’ or “forty-niner” to describe participants of California’s 1849 gold rush. Speaking of which, have you heard of the San Francisco 49ers? As it turns out, the name of the city’s football team commemorates the region’s unique history. 

Of course, we’d be remiss to forget the “lower forty-eight,” an Alaskan phrase that references all US states below the region of Alaska. Who knew? 

How to use the word forty for AP and Chicago style?

Learning how to use forty is straight-forward, but writing style rules can affect how we use numbers in sentences correctly. Two of the more common writing guides include the Associated Press Stylebook or The Chicago Manual of Style, which both provide different rules for in-text numbers. 

In general, the AP Stylebook spells out cardinal numbers between 1-9 (except decimals), while Chicago writes out cardinal numbers between 0-100. 

For example, 

AP Style: “My favorite number is 40” or, “I write for 40 minutes a day.”
Chicago Style: “My favorite number is forty” or, “I write for forty minutes a day.”  

However, if you’re using a number to describe time, quantity, age, or distance, there’s a good chance these guides provide specific stipulations on using forty or 40 in a sentence. 

Let’s compare the AP Stylebook and Chicago’s suggestions for forty vs. 40:

Centuries

AP: “The 40th century.”
Chicago: “The fortieth century.”

Decades

AP: “The 1940s.” 
Chicago: “The 1940’s,” “The ‘40s,” or “The forties” (as long as the century is known).

Ages

AP: “She is in her 40s” or “She is 40-years-old.” 
Chicago: “She is in her forties” or “She is 40-years-old.” 

40 million, billion, or trillion nouns vs. dollars

AP: “40-million Grammarly users” or “$40 billion.”   
Chicago: “Forty million Grammarly users” or “$40 billion.” 

Dimensions

AP: “40 feet by 20 feet.”
Chicago: “Forty-by-twenty feet.”  

Distances

AP: “40 miles away.” 
Chicago: “Forty miles away.”

Percentages

AP: “40%.” 
Chicago: “40 percent” or “40%” (use symbol for technical writing). 

The AP Stylebook and Chicago’s shared rules for 40 vs. forty

• Spell out numbers at the beginning of sentences.
• Use figures for ages (e.g., “40-years-old). 
• Use figures for monetary amounts with symbols (e.g., $40). 

Of course, The Chicago Manual of Style and AP Stylebook contain several other guidelines for numerics, but our general outline can help you get started in the right direction. 

Want to know more?

If you’d like to learn about other tricky words within AP and Chicago formats, check out The Word Counter’s recent posts, such as: 

• Alright vs. all right?
• Awhile vs. a while?
• Canceled vs. cancelled?
• Fiancé vs. fiancée?
• Flier or flyer?
• Former vs. latter?
• Less vs. fewer?

Test Yourself!

Test how well you understand the difference between forty vs. fourty with the following multiple-choice questions. 

1. The proper spelling of 40 is ___________.
   a. Forty
   b. Fourty
   c. Feowrti
   d. Fourti
2. True or false: “fourty” is an older form of “forty.”
   a. True
   b. False
3. The use of fourty fell out of favor by the ____________.
   a. 16th century
   b. 17th century
   c. 18th century
   d. 19th century
4. Which is correct for AP and Chicago?: “She tweets ________ a day
   a. 40 times
   b. Forty times
   c. 40-times
   d. None of the above
5. Which of the following amounts contains an incorrect spelling of 40? 
   a. Forty dollars
   b. Four-hundred and thirty-five dollars
   c. Fourty dollars and fourteen cents
   d. Four-thousand and forty dollars

Answers

1. A
2. A
3. C
4. D
5. D

Sources

1. “Forty.” The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th ed., Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company, 2020. 
2. “Forty.” Cambridge Dictionary, Cambridge University Press, 2020.
3. “Forty.” Lexico, Oxford University Press, 2020.
4. “Forty.” The Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster Inc., 2020.
5. “Forty.” Oxford English Dictionary Online, Oxford University Press, 2020. 
6. “Forty winks.” Cambridge Dictionary, Cambridge University Press, 2020.
7. Harper, Douglas. “Forty.” The Online Etymology Dictionary, 2020. 
8. “Numbers.” The Chicago Manual of Style Online, 16th ed., The University of Chicago, 2010. 
9. “Numerals.” AP Stylebook, The Associated Press Stylebook, 2020. 

• #1

Hello everybody,

I have got a confusion with the spelling of these words,

Is it forty or fourty?, In this dictionary I found “forty” but on the Internet I found “fourty”. Maybe forty is American English and the other one British…

Can you help me ?!

Thanks in advance

Bye

• #2

Forty is the correct spelling, at least in the United States. It does get confusing, because it’s related to the word “four”, but “40” is properly spelled “forty”.

• #3

40: “forty” is the correct spelling.
however,4- four , 14 – fourteen
In my opinion, I find the Internet sometimes a bit “dangerous”, people write and post opinions, even articles that contain all kinds of errors. That also happens in Spanish. One has to be careful and concerning spelling I would rely on a dictionary.

• #4

when in doubt, I try both spellings in Google and see which one gets more hits

• #7

In that website appears FOURTY !!!!!

• #8

THE CORRECT WAY IS FORTY
I learnt both British English in Spain and America English in the US and many people make that mistake of writing fourty everywhere.
Everywhere it is a mistake.

• #9

Yes, I know that is only a mistake, but the problem is that I taught a lesson to a child and I taught him FOURTY !! , I feel very embarrassed, I’m studying pedagogy in English I can’t make this kind of mistakes.

Bye

Last edited by a moderator: Mar 10, 2014

• #10

You have to make clear you are not a native speaker and one can always make mistakes. In my opinion, what actually counts is that you work hard to improve your English and if you made a mistake, correct such mistake (you have to figure out how) so as to have your students get the correct version or the answer you couldn´t provide during the previous lesson.

On the other hand, if you are teaching English, I believe you should rely on sources which are academically serious. For Spanish speakers there’s the “Real Academia Española”, for French speakers, there’s the “L’Académie Francaise”, but for English speakers there isn´t one. However, there are reliable dictionaries, grammar textbooks, educational websites to which one can refer to clarify questions. If you are a teacher and are looking forward to preparing your students for international exams, or to study in the American or British systems, for example, “googling” would not be the best solution, you may come up with “what people say”, with frequent mistakes people make , etc. And when your students sit for their exams, they will be corrected according not to what people say, but to what is considered “academically correct.” My two cents.

Yes, I know that is only a mistake, but the problem is that I taught a lesson to a child and I taught him FOURTY !! , I feel very embarrassed, I’m studying pedagogy in English I can’t make this kind of mistakes.

By the way, is it pedagogy in English or English pedagogy ?

Bye

• #11

You have to make clear you are not a native speaker and one can always make mistakes. In my opinion, what actually counts is that you work hard to improve your English and if you made a mistake, correct such mistake (you have to figure out how) so as to have your students get the correct version or the answer you couldn´t provide during the previous lesson.

On the other hand, if you are teaching English, I believe you should rely on sources which are academically serious. For Spanish speakers there’s the “Real Academia Española”, for French speakers, there’s the “L’Académie Francaise”, but for English speakers there isn´t one. However, there are reliable dictionaries, grammar textbooks, educational websites to which one can refer to clarify questions. If you are a teacher and are looking forward to preparing your students for international exams, or to study in the American or British systems, for example, “googling” would not be the best solution, you may come up with “what people say”, with frequent mistakes people make , etc. And when your students sit for their exams, they will be corrected according not to what people say, but to what is considered “academically correct.” My two cents.

Hi,
I was looking for an answer to the same doubt and couldn’t ignore your comment about the lack of reliable dictionaries for any kind of doubts in spoken English, and I’d like to add that there are reliable dictionaries for this and more. Those are the official Oxford and Cambridge dictionaries with which you can get almost any answer you may have.
Even when I normally look for answers or support to any uncertainty in this tool, that is, I always seek for a dependable explanation after had seen a possible and unique answer for doubt, I also go to these dictionaries. And back to the question, in both dictionaries, Oxford and Cambridge, the answer to this is FORTY, there is no explanation of why, though.

Significado de FORTY en el Diccionario Cambridge inglés

forty | Definition of forty in English by Oxford Dictionaries

• #12

For most English speakers, “horse” and “hoarse” are pronounced the same, and the first syllables of “forty” and “fourteen” have the same vowel. This is the famous horse-hoarse merger.

But I have heard there are some English speakers that make a distinction, with “four” and “fourteen” having the vowel of “hoarse” and “forty” having the vowel of “horse”.

So, “forty” lost its “u” when it was pronounced with a different vowel, and the spelling without “u” remains even though that does not affect the pronunciation used by most of us.