I've been saying it all wrong (high school, course, teacher, class)

[IShootNikon]

Forte: Ones' strong point

Apparently it's pronounced fort, not for-tay

Of course anyone who pronounces it correctly as above would probably get weird looks

[Pitt Chick]

Yep. It IS pronounced fort (strong like a fort!) and yes, people look at you oddly.

[IShootNikon]

I've never heard it pronounced that way and honestly I won't change how I pronounce it

"So, what is your fort"

"Huh" (confused look)

"Your fort, you know one of your strong points"...

Just sounds odd

[P47P47]

Single syllable for one's strong point.

Two syllables, with accent on FIRST syllable (FOR-tay), for a loud musical passage.

[jtab4994]

Oh please. You are not "saying it wrong" if people know what you mean.


Anyway, Wiktionary.com says either pronunciation is "correct", so there.

[gentlearts]

Originally Posted by IShootNikon

Forte: Ones' strong point

Apparently it's pronounced fort, not for-tay

Of course anyone who pronounces it correctly as above would probably get weird looks

In a far far away land, when I was in English class in high school, I also learned that this is true. In my adult life, I have leaned that nobody cares what is correct, they just want to say fortay.

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by IShootNikon

Forte: Ones' strong point

Apparently it's pronounced fort, not for-tay

Of course anyone who pronounces it correctly as above would probably get weird looks

It's pronounced "fort" in French. In English, it's most commonly pronounced "for-tay" per all dictionaries, though "fort", according to most (but not all) dictionaries of American English, is not incorrect. People who believe that "fort" is the only correct pronunciation are wrong, unless they're referring to French usage.

[jtab4994]

Originally Posted by Ruth4Truth

In English, it's most commonly pronounced "for-tay"...

Exactly. When speaking English, use the common English pronunciation that's understood by the people you're speaking to.


The plural of "stadium" is "stadiums" unless your Latin teacher is looking for "stadia".


The capital of France is "PAR-iss" unless you are in French class or in a French-speaking land.

[germaine2626]

Originally Posted by Ruth4Truth

It's pronounced "fort" in French. In English, it's most commonly pronounced "for-tay" per all dictionaries, though "fort", according to most (but not all) dictionaries of American English, is not incorrect. People who believe that "fort" is the only correct pronunciation are wrong, unless they're referring to French usage.

I agree.

There are many words that are pronounced one way if you pronounce them in English and a different way if you use the "foreign language" pronunciation.

In fact, I know families where part of the family pronounces their last name the English language way and part of the family pronounces the very same last name in the foreign language way.

[mainebrokerman]

fortay(sounding) has one meaning most will recognize
fort has multiple meanings and not well recognized