How do you pronounce forte?: Usage Guide
In forte we have a word derived from French that in its "strong point" sense has no entirely satisfactory pronunciation. Usage writers have denigrated \ˈfȯr-ˌtā\ and \ˈfȯr-tē\ because they reflect the influence of the Italian-derived forte entry 2. Their recommended pronunciation \ˈfȯrt\, however, does not exactly reflect French either: the French would write the word le fort and would pronounce it more similar to English for. So you can take your choice, knowing that someone somewhere will dislike whichever variant you choose. All are standard, however. In British English \ˈfȯ-ˌtā\ and \ˈfȯt\ predominate; \ˈfȯr-ˌtā\ and \fȯr-ˈtā\ are probably the most frequent pronunciations in American English.
forte
2 of 3adverb or adjective
Did you know?
En garde! When English speakers borrowed the word forte from French in the 17th century, it referred to the strongest part of the blade of a fencing sword, the section between the middle and the hilt. (The word’s ultimate source is the French adjective fort, meaning “strong.”) Forte was perfectly suited for metaphorical use, and it quickly came to refer to the strong point of a person, in addition to the strong point of a blade. (The word has its counterpoint in foible, which comes from an obsolete form of the French word faible, “weak,” and refers both to the weakest part of a sword blade and to a person’s weak point.) There is some controversy over how to correctly pronounce forte. Common choices in American English are “FOR-tay” and “for-TAY,” but many usage commentators recommend matching it to fort, since the e is not pronounced in French. Whichever you choose has no bearing on its meaning, however, and therefore should run you no risk of someone (say, an avenging duelist) commenting: “You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.”
Synonyms
Examples of forte in a Sentence
Anne Sinkler Whaley LeClercq, An Antebellum Plantation Household, 1996
Even during Picasso's youthful figurative stages, stark realism was never his forte …
—Patricia Corbett, Connoisseur, July 1988
Though his forte was never the novel but the novella, he paid the rent by grinding out novel after novel …
—Hugh Kenner, A Sinking Island, (1987) 1988
doing funny impressions of people has always been my forte
Charles Pulliam-Moore, The Verge, 24 Oct. 2024
Since Phillips’ main forte was comedy, Emmerich capped the budget on the first movie at $55 million, and brought on co-financiers to mitigate the risk, including Bron and Village Roadshow.
—Pamela McClintock, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 Oct. 2024
Keith Urban follows a strict physical fitness regimen to stay in shape, but traditional cardio isn’t his forte.
—Mark Gray, People.com, 5 Oct. 2024
Raymond’s forte is in the music space with such headliners as Grammy winner Britney Spears and the Jonas Brothers, as well as sports with David Beckham.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 3 Oct. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Forte.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/forte. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
forte
2 of 2 adverb or adjective
Noun
from earlier fort "the thing a person does very well, strong point," from early French fort (same meaning), derived from Latin fortis "strong"
Adverb or adjective
from Italian forte "strongly, loudly," from forte (adjective) "strong, loud," from Latin fortis "strong"
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