fortress
for·tress/ˈfoɹ.tɹɪs/noun, verb
fortress is spelled F-O-R-T-R-E-S-S: 8 letters and 2 syllables (for·tress). It appears 5.9 times per million words in written English, the 10,028th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, fortress means “A fortified place; a large and permanent fortification, sometimes including a town; for example a fort, a castle; a stronghold; a place of defense or…” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of fortress is fortresses.
How many letters and syllables are in fortress?
| Letters | 8: F-O-R-T-R-E-S-S |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2: for·tress |
| In writing | 5.9 times per million words; the 10,028th 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 fortress?
Fortress appears 5.9 times per million words in written English, the 10,028th 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 fortress?
- US /ˈfoɹ.tɹɪs/
- US /ˈfoɹ.tɹəs/
- UK /ˈfɔː.tɹəs/
Fortress has 2 syllables, split for·tress in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-fortress.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of fortress
- fortresses plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- fortressing participle, present
- fortressed participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does fortress mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A fortified place; a large and permanent fortification, sometimes including a town; for example a fort, a castle; a stronghold; a place of defense or security.
- 2
A position that, if obtained by the weaker side, will prevent penetration by the opposing side, generally achieving a draw.
verb
- 1
To furnish with a fortress or with fortresses; to guard, to fortify.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Fortress in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense fortified place:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | forteresse |
| German | Festung |
| Portuguese | fortaleza |
| Spanish | fortaleza |
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 fortress come from?
Early 14 c., from Old French forteresce, forteresse, forterece (“strong place, fortification”), variant of fortelesse, from Medieval Latin fortalitia, from Latin fortis (“strong”) (see fort) + -itia, added to adjectives to form nouns of quality or condition. French -ess, from Latin -itia is also in words such as duress, prowess, largesse and richesse. For change of medial -l- to -r- in Old French, compare orne (“elm”) from ulmus; chartre from cartula and chapitre from capitulum. First attested in the 12th century.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).