fortify
for·ti·fy/ˈfɔɹtəˌfaɪ/verb
fortify is spelled F-O-R-T-I-F-Y: 7 letters and 3 syllables (for·ti·fy). It appears about once in every 1 million words in written English, the 32,798th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a verb, fortify means “To give power, strength, or vigour to (oneself or someone, or to something); to strengthen” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in fortify?
| Letters | 7: F-O-R-T-I-F-Y |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3: for·ti·fy |
| In writing | about once in every 1 million words; the 32,798th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is fortify?
Fortify appears about once in every 1 million words in written English, the 32,798th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce fortify?
- UK /ˈfɔːtɪfaɪ/
- US /ˈfɔɹtəˌfaɪ/
- US [-ɾə-]
Fortify has 3 syllables, split for·ti·fy in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-fortify.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of fortify
- fortifies present, singular, he/she/it
- fortifying participle, present
- fortified participle, past, singular, he/she/it, plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does fortify mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
verb
- 1
To give power, strength, or vigour to (oneself or someone, or to something); to strengthen.
- 2
To support (one's or someone's opinion, statement, etc.) by producing evidence, etc.; to confirm, to corroborate.
- 3
To increase the nutritional value of (food) by adding ingredients, especially minerals or vitamins.
Soy milk is often fortified with calcium.
- 4
To impart fortitude or moral strength to (someone or their determination, or something); to encourage.
- 5
To make (something) defensible against attack by hostile forces.
- 6
archaicTo make (something) structurally strong; to strengthen.
- 7
To increase the defences of (an army, soldiers, etc.), or put (it or them) in a defensive position.
- 8
To secure and strengthen (a place, its walls, etc.) by installing fortifications or other military works.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Fortify in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | renforcer , supplémenter , fortifier |
| German | stärken , anreichern , befestigen, verstärken |
| Portuguese | fortalecer , fortificar |
| Spanish | fortificar , enriquecer |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does fortify come from?
From Late Middle English fortifien, fortfien (“to strengthen (a castle, etc.) from attack; to strengthen (an army, etc.); to strengthen (a person), aid, support; to reinforce, support; to improve; to increase the efficacy of”), from Old French fortifier (modern French fortifier), from Late Latin fortificāre (“to strengthen, fortify”), from Latin fortis (“powerful, strong”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *bʰerǵʰ- (“to ascend, rise up; to be elevated or up high”) or *dʰerǵʰ- (“to be firm; robust, strong”)) + -ficō (suffix forming causative or factitive, or other verbs).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).