fortify

/ˈfɔːtɪfaɪ/

//ˈfɔːtɪfaɪ// verb

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

"fortify" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“fortify” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #32,810 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#32,810
frequency rank, English
7
letters
11
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To give power, strength, or vigour to (oneself or someone, or to something); to strengthen.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

fortify vs forty
71% similar
fortify vs forties
71% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for fortify
PropertyValue
Headwordfortify
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˈfɔːtɪfaɪ/
Letters7
Frequency rank#32,810
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “fortify” sits in English frequency

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

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for fortify is 7 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈfɔːtɪfaɪ/. Corpus data places it at rank #32,810 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 13 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for fortify, with forms such as "ffortify", "foritfy", and "forrtify". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 2 confusable-pair relationships, "forty", "forties", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: 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 (mo… The correct English form is fortify, spelled F-O-R-T-I-F-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    To give power, strength, or vigour to (oneself or someone, or to something); to strengthen.
  2. 2
    To support (one's or someone's opinion, statement, etc.) by producing evidence, etc.; to confirm, to corroborate.
  3. 3
    To increase the nutritional value of (food) by adding ingredients, especially minerals or vitamins.
  4. 4
    To impart fortitude or moral strength to (someone or their determination, or something); to encourage.
  5. 5
    To make (something) defensible against attack by hostile forces.
  6. 6
    To make (something) structurally strong; to strengthen.
  7. 7
    To increase the defences of (an army, soldiers, etc.), or put (it or them) in a defensive position.
  8. 8
    To secure and strengthen (a place, its walls, etc.) by installing fortifications or other military works.
  9. 9
    To provide (a city, a fortress, an army, etc.) with equipment or soldiers.
  10. 10
    To add spirits to (wine) to increase the alcohol content.
  11. 11
    To install fortifications or other military works; also (sometimes figurative), to put up a defensive position.
  12. 12
    To become strong; to strengthen.
  13. 13
    To undergo, or cause to undergo, fortition.

Etymology

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).

This word in other languages

enriquecer(Español)renforcer(Français)stärken(Deutsch)fortalecer(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ffortify,foritfy,forrtify,fortfiy,fortiffy,fortifyy,fortiyf,forttify,fotrify,frotify,ofrtify

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of fortify - 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.

ffortify1foritfy2forrtify1fortfiy2fortiffy1fortifyy1fortiyf2forttify1
Edit distance from "fortify"

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 "fortify"?
"fortify" is spelled F-O-R-T-I-F-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈfɔːtɪfaɪ/.
What does "fortify" mean?
As a verb, "fortify" means: To give power, strength, or vigour to (oneself or someone, or to something); to strengthen.
What words are commonly confused with "fortify"?
"fortify" is commonly confused with "forty", "forties". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "fortify"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "fortify" is /ˈfɔːtɪfaɪ/. 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 "fortify"?
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 for... 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.

Using “fortify”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is F-O-R-T-I-F-Y - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈfɔːtɪfaɪ/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “forty” - see the side-by-side comparison. fortify vs forty
  • 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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list