fortieth

/ˈfɔː.ti.əθ/

//ˈfɔː.ti.əθ// adj

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

"fortieth" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“fortieth” is uncommon English (frequency #63,626 among 2,507 “F” headwords), classed as an adjective. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#63,626
frequency rank, English
2,507
“F” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The ordinal form of the number forty.

Corpus desk

Index EN-fortieth · fortieth · English

fortieth · rank #63,626 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #63,626
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,507
  • PHOTO-FINISH fossiliferous

Nearest frequency peer: fossiliferous (+1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Long-tail ranks near “fortieth”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “fortieth” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for fortieth
PropertyValue
Headwordfortieth
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈfɔː.ti.əθ/
Letters8
Frequency rank#63,626
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “fortieth” in English

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

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Rare peers in the same band: “fossiliferous” (#63,627), “footfall” (#63,624), “fractious” (#63,628). Among 2,507 “F” headwords, “fortieth” is #63,626. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

fortieth is uncommon English at frequency #63,626 among 2,507 “F” headwords, classed as anadjective, transcribed /ˈfɔː.ti.əθ/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "The ordinal form of the number forty.".

fortieth has no tracked misspelling variants, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From earlier fourteth, from Middle English fourtithe, fourtiþe; equivalent to forty + -eth. For the modern form, see the etymological notes at twentieth. The correct English form is fortieth, spelled F-O-R-T-I-E-T-H.

Definition

  1. 1
    The ordinal form of the number forty.

Etymology

From earlier fourteth, from Middle English fourtithe, fourtiþe; equivalent to forty + -eth. For the modern form, see the etymological notes at twentieth.

This word in other languages

cuadragésimo(Español)quarantième(Français)vierzigste(Deutsch)

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 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "fortieth"?
"fortieth" is spelled F-O-R-T-I-E-T-H. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈfɔː.ti.əθ/.
What does "fortieth" mean?
As an adjective, "fortieth" means: The ordinal form of the number forty.
How do you pronounce "fortieth"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "fortieth" is /ˈfɔː.ti.əθ/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "fortieth"?
From earlier fourteth, from Middle English fourtithe, fourtiþe; equivalent to forty + -eth. For the modern form, see the etymological notes at twentieth. See the full etymology section above for more details.
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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "fortieth", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 8 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

footfall#63,624gelatine#63,644entendre#63,598endorser#63,596

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list