What's the Difference Between 'Forty' and 'Fourty'?
In this blog post we look at when to use forty and when to use fourty.
'Forty' or 'Fourty'?
"Forty" is the correct spelling of the word that means the number 40.
"Fourty" is a misspelling of the word. It is a common mistake, likely because the word is formed by combining the digits "four" and "ten," and it is easy to add an extra "t" when spelling it out.
"Forty" is a word that has been in use for a very long time. It comes from the Old English word "feowertig," which means "four tens."
There are many idioms and expressions that include the word "forty." For example, "over the hill at forty" refers to the idea that people are past their prime once they reach the age of 40. "The 40-year itch" is another phrase that refers to a midlife crisis.
In summary, “fourty” is never a correct spelling. "Forty" is the correct spelling, and it is the one that should be used in formal writing.
Here are some examples to illustrate the difference between "forty" and "fourty":
"Forty" examples:
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The temperature is supposed to reach forty degrees today.
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I have forty dollars in my wallet.
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It's my fortieth birthday next month.
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The flight from New York to Los Angeles takes about forty hours.
"Fourty" examples (incorrect spellings):
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The temperture is supposed to reach fourty degrees today.
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I have fourty dollars in my wallet.
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It's my fourtieth birthday next month.
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The flight from New York to Los Angeles takes about fourty hours.
As you can see, "forty" is the correct spelling of the word that means the number 40. "Fourty" is a misspelling and should be avoided in formal writing.
Examples of Forty in a Sentence
Here are ten example sentences using the word "forty":
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My new job pays forty dollars an hour.
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There are forty students in my class.
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I'm going to be forty years old next month.
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It's about forty miles from here to the beach.
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The store is offering a discount of forty percent off all furniture.
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I have forty unread messages in my email inbox.
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It took me forty minutes to get to work this morning.
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The library has forty copies of the book I'm looking for.
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The marathon is a distance of forty kilometers.
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I have to take forty pills a day to manage my health condition.
