Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

fort

/fɔɹt/

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: 4.45 in modern English

Syllables
fort
IPA
/fɔɹt/
7
Scrabble Score
4
Letters
1
Syllables
4
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A fortified defensive structure stationed with troops.

noun

Any permanent army post.

noun

An outlying trading-station, as in British North America.

noun

A structure improvised from furniture, bedding, etc., for playing games.

verb

To create a fort, fortifications, a strong point, or a redoubt.

name

A surname.

name

A district of Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Example Sentences

Etymology

From Middle English fort, from Middle French fort (“strong”) (adjective use is from Old French). Doublet of fortis and forte.

Origin

Word Breakdown

  • Root: *bʰerǵʰ-, fort, -

Regional Pronunciation

  • American English: /fɔɹt/
  • British English: /fɔːt/

Inflected Forms

forts (plural) forts (present, singular) forting (participle, present) forted (participle, past) forted (past)

Derived Forms

fortlet fortlike forty ringfort Fortean

Phrases

blanket fort climbing fort fairy fort Fort Archambault Fort Augustus Fort Bend County Fort Benton Fort Collins

Frequently Paired Words

fortress fortification hold the fort fort-da St Fort

Synonyms

den fort up bastion bulwark bunker castle citadel donjon fortification fortress foxhole keep

Homonyms

forte (one pronunciation) fought (non-rhotic, horse–hoarse merger) thought (non-rhotic, horse–hoarse merger, th-fronting)

Rhymes With

support court short report sort port sport transport resort ct import escort

Questions

How do you pronounce fort?
The recorded pronunciation is /fɔɹt/.
What does fort mean?
A fortified defensive structure stationed with troops.
Where does fort come from?
It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce fort

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “fort”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/fɔɹt/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “fort”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “fort” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.