3 syllables: for, ti, eth. Stress on for.
/ˈfɔɹtiəθ/
Say it backFortieth refers to the ordinal number after the thirty-ninth, or describing the position in a sequence that is the 40th item. It is used in formal and academic contexts to indicate ranking, order, or proportion, often in lists, measurements, or anniversaries. The pronunciation is a key feature of its precise spelling and usage in both written and spoken English.
- Focus on two main challenges: the /r/ + /t/ sequence and the final dental fricative /θ/ (or /ð/). If you substitute the /θ/ with /f/ or /s/, you’ll sound off. To fix, practice slow, isolating each segment: /fɔːr/ + /ti/ + /θ/. - Don’t swallow the /t/; keep it as a clean stop before the dental fricative. - Avoid reducing the second syllable: do not compress /ti/ into a schwa; keep /ti/ distinct to preserve the correct rhythm.
"She will be the fortieth speaker at the conference."
"In the fortieth chapter, the protagonist discovers a crucial clue."
"The fortieth anniversary is marked by a formal gala."
Pronounce it as FOR-tee-eth with primary stress on FOR. In IPA: US: /ˈfɔːr.ti.ɪθ/, UK: /ˈfɔː.ti.ɜːθ/, AU: /ˈfɔː.ti.ɪθ/. The sequence -tieth yields a light yuh- or yeth-like glide before the final th. Make sure the /r/ is crisp in rhotic accents and the final /θ/ or /ð/ is clearly aspirated depending on the following vowel.
Common errors include pronouncing /ti/ as an overlong syllable (forti-eeth) or merging the final /θ/ with /f/ leading to /fɔːrtiːf/ or /ˈfɔːrtiə/. Another error is de-emphasizing the /r/ in non-rhotic accents, producing /ˈfɔːtiːθ/ without the rhotic coloring. To correct: keep /ti/ as a separate syllable, ensure the tongue tip gently contacts the upper teeth for /θ/ (or alveolar for /ð/) and maintain the two distinct consonant clusters /r/ and /θ/ (or /ð/).
US: strong rhotic /ɹ/ with /fɔɹ/ and clear /ɪθ/; UK: non-rhotic /fɔːtiːθ/ or /fɔːˈtiːθ/, with a t-y-glide before th and a lengthened first vowel; AU: similar to UK but with broader vowel quality and occasional flapped or tapped /ɹ/ variation in informal speech. Maintain the /θ/ or /ð/ depending on the word and be mindful of vowel length shifts in British varieties.
The difficulty comes from the sequence of adjacent consonants /r/ followed by /ti/ and then the final /θ/ (or /ð/). The tongue must make a rapid transition from the rhotic /r/ to the alveolar /t/ and then to the dental fricative /θ/ (or /ð/). This requires precise timing and blade-tongue control, plus a subtle vowel split in /ti/ that often blends in casual speech. Practice slowly emphasizing each segment before increasing speed.
Remember the word hinges on the sequence forti- with a short, crisp /ti/ followed by the dental fricative. Your mental cue: 'forty' + 'eth'—keep the /t/ light and separate from /θ/; in careful speech, you’ll hear a brief /ɪ/ before /θ/ in many speakers. Practicing the two-syllable nucleus in slow motion helps anchor the correct rhythm and prevents blending.
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- US: pronounce with rhotic /ɹ/, ensure /ɔɹ/ is close to /ɔɹ/ in American vowels; UK: less rhotic influence; long monophthong in /ɔː/ with clearer /ti/ followed by /θ/; AU: vowels often broader, with /ɹ/ less prominent in some speakers; IPA references: US /ˈfɔːr.ti.ɪθ/, UK /ˈfɔː.ti.ɜːθ/, AU /ˈfɔː.ti.ɪθ/.
Fortieth comes from Middle English fortieth, derived from Old French quarantième, ultimately from Latin quartus decimus, combining quartus (fourth) and decimus (tenth) to indicate the fourth tenth, or the forty-third in counting? The modern English form fortieth (fortieth) amalgamates forti- (from four = four) with -ieth, the ordinal suffix used for numbers ending in -y or following a certain numeral formation. Historically, the word evolved to denote the ordinal position of forty in a sequence, mirroring other ordinals like thirtieth and fortieth in spelling and pronunciation patterns. The first known use in English dates to the medieval period, aligning with the standardization of ordinal numbers in scholarly, legal, and ecclesiastical texts. Over centuries, pronunciation drift consolidated with a stressed second syllable and a final -th suffix, shaping contemporary usage in both British and American English.
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Words that rhyme with "fortieth"
-ood sounds
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