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” has 11 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #32,810. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#32,810
frequency rank, English
2,507
“F” headwords
11
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To give power, strength, or vigour to (oneself or someone, or to something); to strengthen.

Corpus desk

Index EN-fortify · fortify · English

fortify · rank #32,810 · 11 variants · 2 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #32,810
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 2 pairs
  • VAR-MID 11 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,507
  • PHOTO-FINISH follies

Nearest frequency peer: follies (-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.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “fortify”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “fortify” 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

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)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “fortify”

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).fortifylands here:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “follies” (#32,809), “fouling” (#32,811), “fluidity” (#32,808). Among 2,507 “F” headwords, “fortify” is #32,810. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 11 spelling variants around fortify (IPA /ˈfɔːtɪfaɪ/), averb. Corpus frequency is #32,810 among 2,507 “F” headwords. Wiktionary lists 13 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

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.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. [I]t [“oleum de costo”] fortifyeth yͤ ſtomack and Lyuer, it keepeth the hayre from fallyng of, & the head from horeneſſe [hoaryness], it cauſeth good colour, and ſauour in all the body.
  2. […] I preſum'd it vvill not be unvvelcome to Your Lordſhip, if I here fortifie the Speculations that have been or may be propos'd to explicate theſe things according to the Hypotheſis of the vveight of the Air, by vvhat vve tried to that purpoſe, among others, vvhen vve vvere making uſe of a Syringe in our Engine.

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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

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

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

follies#32,809fouling#32,811familia#32,803epistle#32,795

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (11 here; floor ≥5).

Gabriella11 variantsespoused11 variantsequating11 variantsepidural11 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list