fortification
/ˌfɔː(ɹ)tɪfɪˈkeɪʃən/
"fortification" is a 13-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“fortification” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #35,300 in English word frequency and used as a noun.
- #35,300
- frequency rank, English
- 13
- letters
- 20
- tracked misspellings
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The act of fortifying; the art or science of fortifying places to strengthen defence against an enemy.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | fortification |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ˌfɔː(ɹ)tɪfɪˈkeɪʃən/ |
| Letters | 13 |
| Frequency rank | #35,300 |
| Misspellings tracked | 20 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “fortification” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for fortification is 13 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˌfɔː(ɹ)tɪfɪˈkeɪʃən/. Corpus data places it at rank #35,300 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 4 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
Our generated misspelling index lists 20 likely wrong-spelling variants for fortification, with forms such as "ffortification", "foritfication", and "forrtification". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.
Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Middle French fortification, from Late Latin fortificatio, fortificationem, from fortifico, from Latin fortis. By surface analysis, fort + -ification. The correct English form is fortification, spelled F-O-R-T-I-F-I-C-A-T-I-O-N.
Definition
- 1The act of fortifying; the art or science of fortifying places to strengthen defence against an enemy.
- 2That which fortifies; especially, a work or works erected to defend a place against attack; a fortified place; a fortress; a fort; a castle.
- 3An increase in effectiveness, as by adding ingredients.
- 4A jagged pattern sometimes seen during an attack of migraine.
Etymology
Borrowed from Middle French fortification, from Late Latin fortificatio, fortificationem, from fortifico, from Latin fortis. By surface analysis, fort + -ification.
This word in other languages
Common misspellings
Also misspelled as: ffortification,foritfication,forrtification,fortfiication,fortifciation,fortiffication,fortifiaction,fortificaiton,fortificasion,fortificatino,fortificationn,fortificatoin,fortificattion,fortificcation,fortifictaion,fortiifcation,forttification,fotrification,frotification,ofrtification
Misspelling Pattern Breakdown
How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of fortification - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.
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 "fortification"?
What does "fortification" mean?
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Using “fortification”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is F-O-R-T-I-F-I-C-A-T-I-O-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˌfɔː(ɹ)tɪfɪˈkeɪʃən/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
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.