2 syllables: for, ties. Stress on for.
/ˈfɔɹtiz/
Say it backForties refers to the decade from ages forty to forty-nine, or to the plural form of forty when counting years, as in “the forties.” It can also describe a plural grouping of items or measurements marked forty through forty-nine. In casual speech, the word is common in discussing age demographics or historical periods. The term is pronounced with a stress on the first syllable, and the final “s” is voiced in connected speech.
"She spent her forties exploring new career opportunities."
"In the 1940s, many countries experienced significant social changes during the forties."
"The forties of the last century saw rapid technological advances."
Pronounce as /ˈfɔːr.tiz/ in US and UK; stress on the first syllable. The first syllable rhymes with 'for' and features a long /ɔː/ vowel. The second syllable is a tense /tiz/ with a voiced /z/ ending. In careful speech you’ll fully articulate the /t/ and /z/; in fast speech the /t/ may be a sandwiched dash and /z/ may blend with the preceding consonant. Audio examples: listen to native speech via pronunciation resources.
Common errors include pronouncing the first syllable with a short /ɔ/ as in 'lot' and confusing the /t/ with a /d/ in rapid speech. Another mistake is merging the /r/ and vowel into a lax ‘for’-like sound before the /ti/ cluster, making it sound like ‘forties’ with a reduced /ɔ/ or without a clear /t/ onset. Correct by holding a clear long /ɔː/ for the first syllable and articulating a crisp /t/ followed by /iz/ (or /ɪz/ in some dialects).
In US English the /ɔː/ in ‘fort’ is more open and rhotic /r/ is pronounced; in UK English the /ɔː/ is a longer, more rounded vowel and non-rhoticity may reduce /r/ before vowels; in Australian English the /ɔː/ is centralized and the final /z/ can be slightly softer. Each variation affects the perceived quality of the first syllable and the voicing of the second syllable’s final consonant depending on nearby vowel sounds.
The difficulty centers on the diphthongal start /ɔː/ in stressed syllables and the rapid transition to the /t/ followed by a voiced /z/. For some speakers, the /t/ is tamed or elided in connected speech, making it resemble /tiːz/ or /təs/. Mastery requires precise placement of the tongue for the long back vowel, a crisp alveolar stop, and a voiced alveolar fricative at the end. IPA references help anchor the exact sounds.
Is the /t/ in forties aspirated or unaspirated in casual speech, and how does the /z/ behave when followed by another consonant? In careful speech, /t/ is aspirated and followed by a clear /z/, but in rapid connected speech, you may hear a barely audible /t/ and a shortened /z/ before a consonant start, leading to ‘for-tiz’ vs ‘forte-z’ blends. Keeping the /t/ crisp ensures the plural s is heard as /z/ rather than an extra stop.
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The word forties originates from the number forty, derived from Old English forty (from Proto-Germanic *fortoog), used to denote the number four tens. The plural form forties develops through regular English pluralization with -es added after sibilant clusters. The sense related to the decade of life appears in English usage by the 17th-18th centuries, as numerical decades became a common way to describe age ranges. The term forties to refer to the decade is attested in 18th–19th century written English, with earlier usage primarily counting or quantifying units of ten. First known use of the exact pluralized form forties to describe age ranges or decades appears in historical texts around the 1800s, reflecting the practical need to discuss time periods and age categories succinctly in journalism and literature. Over time, forties gained a stable association with the 40s decade, while also retaining its numeric plural identity when listing ages or year ranges like “the forties and fifties.”
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "forties" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "forties"
-ies sounds
-ces sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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