fortification

/ˌfɔː(ɹ)tɪfɪˈkeɪʃən/

//ˌfɔː(ɹ)tɪfɪˈkeɪʃən// noun

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

"fortification" is a 13-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“fortification” has 20 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #35,300. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#35,300
frequency rank, English
2,507
“F” headwords
20
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The act of fortifying; the art or science of fortifying places to strengthen defence against an enemy.

Corpus desk

Index EN-fortification · fortification · English

fortification · rank #35,300 · 20 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #35,300
  • LEN-MEGA 13 letters
  • VOW-6 6 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 20 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,507
  • PHOTO-FINISH foretold

Nearest frequency peer: foretold (-2 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.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “fortification”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “fortification” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for fortification
PropertyValue
Headwordfortification
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˌfɔː(ɹ)tɪfɪˈkeɪʃən/
Letters13
Frequency rank#35,300
Misspellings tracked20
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “fortification”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).fortificationlands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “foretold” (#35,298), “forego” (#35,297), “Francine” (#35,303). Among 2,507 “F” headwords, “fortification” is #35,300. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 20 spelling variants around fortification (IPA /ˌfɔː(ɹ)tɪfɪˈkeɪʃən/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #35,300 among 2,507 “F” headwords. Wiktionary lists 4 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

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

  1. 1
    The act of fortifying; the art or science of fortifying places to strengthen defence against an enemy.
  2. 2
    That which fortifies; especially, a work or works erected to defend a place against attack; a fortified place; a fortress; a fort; a castle.
  3. 3
    An increase in effectiveness, as by adding ingredients.
  4. 4
    A jagged pattern sometimes seen during an attack of migraine.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how fortification appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. Premier Raymond Poincaré, ever an arch militarist, took full advantage of last week’s war scare in the Belgian Parliament to trumpet through the inspired Parisian press that France must drastically increase her armaments. While this propaganda was at its height, he announced to the Chamber that the first important measure to be presented by the Cabinet du…
  2. Kenett states that the military works still known by the name of Tadmarten Camp and Hook-Norton Barrow were cast up at this time ; the former, large and round, is judged to be a fortification of the Danes, and the latter, being smaller and rather a quinquangle than a square, of the Saxons.

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

fortificación(Español)fortification(Français)Festungsbau(Deutsch)fortificação(Português)

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.

ffortification1foritfication2forrtification1fortfiication2fortifciation2fortiffication1fortifiaction2fortificaiton2
Edit distance from "fortification"

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"?
"fortification" is spelled F-O-R-T-I-F-I-C-A-T-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌfɔː(ɹ)tɪfɪˈkeɪʃən/.
What does "fortification" mean?
As a noun, "fortification" means: The act of fortifying; the art or science of fortifying places to strengthen defence against an enemy.
What are common misspellings of "fortification"?
Common misspellings include "ffortification", "foritfication", "forrtification", "fortfiication", "fortifciation". The correct spelling is "fortification".
How do you pronounce "fortification"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "fortification" is /ˌfɔː(ɹ)tɪfɪˈkeɪʃən/. 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 "fortification"?
Borrowed from Middle French fortification, from Late Latin fortificatio, fortificationem, from fortifico, from Latin fortis. By surface analysis, fort + -ification. 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 "fortification", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 13 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

biodegradable#35,200painstakingly#35,449protectionist#35,468revolutionize#35,046

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (20 here; floor ≥5).

mountaineering20 variantsotherworldly20 variantsinterpolation20 variantsimpressionable20 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list