Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

fort-da

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.19 in modern English

Syllables: fort--da
IPA

10

Scrabble Score

6

Letters

3

Syllables

6

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

The (repeated) disappearance and reappearance of an object, especially as a source of pleasure in child play.

Example Sentences

"The death loop represents a limit of the game system as well as the pleasures associated with fort-da present in the playing of digital games."

Etymology

Borrowed from German fort (“gone”) and da (“there”), exclamations that Sigmund Freud heard his grandson utter while playing, described in Beyond the Pleasure Principle (1920).

Inflected Forms

fort/da (alternative)

Questions

What does fort-da mean?: The (repeated) disappearance and reappearance of an object, especially as a source of pleasure in child play.
Where does fort-da come from?: Borrowed from German fort (“gone”) and da (“there”), exclamations that Sigmund Freud heard his grandson utter while playing, described in Beyond the Pleasure Principle (1920).

How to pronounce fort-da

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “fort-da”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling () so you know which sounds to aim for.
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Repeat and practice — Say “fort-da” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.