Forty or Fourty: Which Spelling Is Correct?

Is it forty or fourty? This is one of the most common English spelling mistakes because the word four contains the letter u, but forty does not.

The correct spelling is forty, and fourty is always incorrect in standard English.

Whether you’re writing a date, age, number, or formal document, using the correct spelling helps your writing look accurate and professional.

Quick Answer

Forty is the correct spelling.

Fourty is a misspelling and should not be used.

Spelling	Correct?	Usage
Forty	✅ Yes	Standard English
Fourty	❌ No	Incorrect spelling

Quick takeaway: Always write forty, even though the related word four contains the letter u.

How to Spell and Pronounce Forty

Correct spelling

The correct spelling is:

Forty

The spelling fourty is not accepted in modern English dictionaries or style guides.

Pronunciation

IPA: /ˈfɔːr.ti/

Simple pronunciation: FOR-tee

Although forty is spelled without u, it is still pronounced much like the word four.

What Does Forty Mean?

Forty is the number that comes after thirty-nine and before forty-one.

It can be used as:

A cardinal number
An age
A quantity
Part of dates, addresses, and measurements

Examples

She turned forty last week.
The class has forty students.
We waited for forty minutes.
He scored forty points in the game.

Why Is It Forty and Not Fourty?

The confusion comes from the word four.

Since four includes the letter u, many people naturally assume forty should be spelled fourty.

However, English doesn’t follow that pattern.

The correct spelling has been forty for centuries and appears in major dictionaries, including Merriam-Webster, Cambridge Dictionary, and the Oxford English Dictionary.

So while four keeps the u, forty drops it completely.

The Spelling Rule Explained

Unlike many English numbers, forty doesn’t follow the exact spelling of its root word.

Compare these examples:

Number	Correct Spelling
4	Four
14	Fourteen
40	Forty
40th	Fortieth
400	Four hundred

Notice that only forty and fortieth remove the letter u.

This is a historical spelling that has become the accepted standard in modern English.

How to Use Forty Correctly

In everyday writing

Use forty whenever you’re referring to the number 40.

Examples:

The train arrived forty minutes late.
She has worked here for forty years.
We planted forty trees this spring.

In formal writing

Whether you’re writing an academic paper, business report, or legal document, forty is the only correct spelling.

In numbers

You can write it as:

40
Forty

Both are correct, depending on the writing style.

For example:

The package weighs 40 kilograms.
The package weighs forty kilograms.

Most style guides recommend spelling out numbers below a certain limit, while larger numbers are often written as numerals.

The preferred format depends on the publication or organization you’re writing for.

Real-Life Examples of Forty

Seeing the word in context makes it easier to remember the correct spelling.

Correct examples

She celebrated her forty birthday with family and friends.
The meeting lasted forty minutes.
We sold forty tickets on the first day.
He has lived in the city for forty years.
The library owns more than forty history books on the subject.

Incorrect examples

❌ I waited fourty minutes.

✅ I waited forty minutes.

❌ She is fourty years old.

✅ She is forty years old.

❌ There were fourty students in the classroom.

✅ There were forty students in the classroom.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Adding the letter u

This is the most common mistake.

❌ Fourty

✅ Forty

Although four contains u, forty does not.

Assuming spell check missed it

Most spell checkers flag fourty because it isn’t a standard English word. If you see a correction, accept forty.

Misspelling related words

The same spelling pattern applies to related forms.

Correct	Incorrect
Forty	Fourty
Fortieth	Fourtieth

Once you remember forty, you’ll avoid similar mistakes with fortieth.

A Simple Memory Trick

Think of this sentence:

“Forty loses the U, but keeps the meaning.”

Or remember:

Four → has U
Forty → no U

This quick reminder helps many learners avoid the mistake.

Forty vs Fourty Comparison Table

Feature	Forty	Fourty
Correct spelling	✅ Yes	❌ No
Standard English	✅ Yes	❌ No
Found in dictionaries	✅ Yes	❌ No
Used in formal writing	✅ Yes	❌ No
Used in academic writing	✅ Yes	❌ No
Used in business writing	✅ Yes	❌ No
Pronunciation	FOR-tee	Not accepted

Frequently Asked Questions

Is forty or fourty correct?

Forty is the correct spelling. Fourty is a common misspelling and isn’t accepted in standard English.

Why is forty spelled without a u?

English keeps the historical spelling forty, even though the related word four contains the letter u. This spelling has been standard for centuries.

Is fourty in the dictionary?

No. Major dictionaries recognize forty as the correct spelling.

How do you pronounce forty?

It is pronounced /ˈfɔːr.ti/ (FOR-tee).

Is fortieth spelled with a u?

No. The correct spelling is fortieth, not fourtieth.

Can I use fourty in formal writing?

No. In essays, emails, reports, and professional documents, always use forty.

Conclusion

The answer is simple: forty is the only correct spelling in modern English. Although four contains the letter u, that letter is dropped in forty and fortieth.

This rule applies in both British and American English, so there is no regional variation to remember.

Whether you’re writing about age, time, distance, or quantity, using forty ensures your writing is clear, accurate, and grammatically correct.