fortune
for·tune/ˈfɔːtjuːn/noun, verb
fortune is spelled F-O-R-T-U-N-E: 7 letters and 2 syllables (for·tune). It appears 20 times per million words in written English, the 4,302nd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, fortune means “Destiny, especially favorable” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of fortune is fortunes.
How many letters and syllables are in fortune?
| Letters | 7: F-O-R-T-U-N-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2: for·tune |
| In writing | 20 times per million words; the 4,302nd 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 fortune?
Fortune appears 20 times per million words in written English, the 4,302nd 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 fortune?
- UK /ˈfɔːtjuːn/
- UK /-t͡ʃuːn/
- UK /-tjən/
Fortune has 2 syllables, split for·tune in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-fortune.wav, En-us-fortune.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of fortune
- fortunes plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- fortuning participle, present
- fortuned participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does fortune mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
Destiny, especially favorable.
She read my fortune. Apparently I will have a good love life this week, but I will have a bad week for money.
- 2
A prediction or set of predictions about a person's future provided by a fortune teller.
- 3
A small slip of paper with wise or vaguely prophetic words printed on it, baked into a fortune cookie.
- 4
The arrival of something in a sudden or unexpected manner; chance; accident.
- 5
Good luck.
fame and fortune
- 6
One's wealth; the amount of money one has, especially if it is vast.
He's amassed a small fortune working in the Middle East.
- 7
A large amount of money.
That car must be worth a fortune! How could you afford it?
verb
- 1
To provide (someone) with a fortune.
- 2
To tell the fortune of (someone); to presage.
- 3
obsoleteTo happen, to take place.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Fortune in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | destin , bonne chance , fortune , pactole, magot |
| German | Schicksal, Glück , Vermögen |
| Portuguese | destino, fortuna, sina , fortúnio , chance |
| Spanish | fortuna |
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 fortune come from?
From Middle English fortune, from Old French fortune, from Latin fortuna (“fate, luck”). The plural form fortunae meant “possessions”, which also gave fortune the meaning of “riches”.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).