Forty vs. Fourty: Which Is Correct?

The correct spelling is ✅ forty.

❌ Fourty is not a real English word — it’s a common spelling mistake.

Even though four has a “u,” the number 40 loses that extra vowel when you spell it out.

1. Forty: The Correct Spelling

Meaning

“Forty” means the number 40, which comes after 39 and before 41.
It’s used in both British and American English — no regional difference here!

Examples (10 total)

1. She turned forty last week.
2. There are forty apples in the basket.
3. The room can hold about forty people.
4. It’s forty miles to the nearest city.
5. The store is giving forty percent off.
6. We’ve known each other for forty years.
7. The package weighs forty kilograms.
8. He bought forty tickets for the show.
9. The meeting starts in forty minutes.
10. She’s saving forty dollars every week.

🧠 Tip:
If you can spell fourth (not fourth), you already know how to spell forty — both drop the “u.”

2. Fourty: The Incorrect Spelling

“Fourty” ❌ looks logical because it starts like four, but it’s never correct in modern English.
Older versions of English used to have more vowel variation, but forty became the standard hundreds of years ago.

Incorrect Examples

❌ He’s fourty years old.
✅ He’s forty years old.

❌ They found fourty coins.
✅ They found forty coins.

3. Quick Comparison Table

4. How to Remember

👉 Forty = Four without “u.”
👉 Both forty and fourth drop the “u,” but four keeps it.

💡 Memory Trick:

“Life begins at forty, not fourty.”

5. Common Mistakes

❌ Fourty-five people attended the event.
✅ Forty-five people attended the event.

❌ She’s in her fourties.
✅ She’s in her forties.

6. Why the Confusion

The mistake happens because four has a “u,” so it feels natural to keep it.
However, forty follows older English spelling patterns that simplified the word — and that’s the version accepted in every dictionary today.

Even AI checkers can confuse these subtle differences, but Humanizey ensures your spelling is 100% natural and regionally consistent.

FAQs

1. Is “fourty” used in British English?

No. Both American and British English use forty.

2. Why does “four” have a “u” but “forty” doesn’t?

The “u” was dropped to match pronunciation and simplify spelling during Middle English reforms.

3. What about “fourth”?

Same rule — it’s fourth, not fourth.

4. Is “forty” a noun or adjective?

It can be both:

• Noun: Forty is a big number.
• Adjective: She bought forty balloons.

Practice: Choose the Correct Word (“Forty” or “Fourty”)

(Answers are listed at the end.)

1. There are ___ books on the shelf.
2. My dad is turning ___ next month.
3. We walked ___ kilometers today.
4. The clock stopped after ___ minutes.
5. She’s in her early ___.
6. The sale gives you ___ percent off.
7. It took us ___ tries to succeed.
8. The box weighs about ___ pounds.
9. I saved ___ dollars for the trip.
10. He arrived exactly ___ minutes late.

Answers

1. forty
2. forty
3. forty
4. forty
5. forties
6. forty
7. forty
8. forty
9. forty
10. forty