fortress

[fɔːtrɪs]

/[fɔːtrɪs]/ noun

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

The verdict

“fortress” is uncommon German (frequency #65,227 among 45,736 “F” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#65,227
frequency rank, German
45,736
“F” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - die Festung, Bollwerk, Feste (veraltet), Fort

Key facts for fortress
PropertyValue
Headwordfortress
LanguageGerman
Part of speechNoun
IPA[fɔːtrɪs]
Letters8
Frequency rank#65,227
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “fortress” sits in German frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). fortress lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

fortress is uncommon German at frequency #65,227 among 45,736 “F” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed [fɔːtrɪs]. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "die Festung, Bollwerk, Feste (veraltet), Fort".

No misspelling variants are generated for fortress in our index, suggesting the orthography follows predictable German patterns. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

No documented word history exists for this headword, so its spelling pattern is best understood through pronunciation rather than a traceable origin. The correct German form is fortress, spelled F-O-R-T-R-E-S-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    die Festung, Bollwerk, Feste (veraltet), Fort

Synonyms

fortfortification

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 German corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "fortress"?
"fortress" is spelled F-O-R-T-R-E-S-S. The IPA pronunciation is [fɔːtrɪs].
What does "fortress" mean?
As a noun, "fortress" means: die Festung, Bollwerk, Feste (veraltet), Fort
How do you pronounce "fortress"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "fortress" is [fɔːtrɪs]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "fortress" come from?
"fortress" is a German word. PlainSpell's reference spans five languages -- English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German -- with definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for each.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “fortress”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct German spelling is F-O-R-T-R-E-S-S - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [fɔːtrɪs] (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more German words and confusable pairs in the same reference. German words

Other uncommon German words near this rank

Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list