Which to use
“fora” is a noun and “forty” is a num - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #39,817
- “fora” frequency rank
- #5,130
- “forty” frequency rank
- 44947
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | fora | forty |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | plural of forum; alternative form of forums | The cardinal number occurring after thirty-nine and before forty-one, represented in Roman numerals as XL and in Arabic numerals as 40. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set fora and forty apart are highlighted. They share 3 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
Our dataset has no pronunciation recorded for both members, so the reliable separator here is grammatical: fora is anoun and fortyanum. On the page they differ by 1 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 44947, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
fora is recorded at frequency rank #39,817, classified as anoun. forty is at rank #5,130, tagged as anum, pronounced /ˈfɔːti/.
Glosses for this pair are partially populated in our dataset, but the full side-by-side definitions above should still guide you to the right choice.
With a confusion score of 44947, this pair ranks #225,864 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of fora vs forty
Shared letters: for. Private to "fora": a. Private to "forty": ty.
"fora" · 4 letters · shape CVCV · "forty" · 5 letters · shape CVCCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "fora" and "forty" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "fora" or "forty"?
Remembering fora vs forty
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a noun, it's “fora”; for a num, it's “forty”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “fora” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable