If you are wondering whether the correct spelling is forty or fourty, the answer is forty. Fourty is incorrect in standard English.
The number 40 is always spelled forty, even though the word four is spelled with a “u.”
For example, you should write, “She is forty years old,” not “She is fourty years old.”
The spelling can seem confusing because forty looks like it is missing the “u” from four.
However, this is the standard spelling in both American and British English.
Learning this small spelling rule is useful for students, writers, professionals, and anyone who regularly writes numbers in English.
Once you remember that 40 = forty, you can avoid one of the most common number-spelling mistakes.
Quick Answer
Forty is the correct spelling of the number 40. Fourty is a common misspelling and should not be used in standard English. Although four contains a “u,” the number 40 is spelled forty, not fourty, in both American and British English.
Why Do People Confuse “Forty” and “Fourty”?
The confusion comes mainly from the spelling of the number four.
The number four is spelled:
four
It is natural to assume that adding the ending -ty should produce:
four + ty = fourty
But English does not follow that pattern here.
The correct spelling is:
forty
The “u” disappears.
This makes forty an unusual-looking spelling, especially for learners who are familiar with:
- four
- fourteen
- fourth
- forty
The pronunciation can also make the spelling harder to remember because forty and fourty may look equally reasonable to someone who has never learned the standard spelling.
What Does “Forty” Mean?
Forty is the correctly spelled word for the number 40.
It comes after thirty-nine and before forty-one.
The sequence is:
- 38 = thirty-eight
- 39 = thirty-nine
- 40 = forty
- 41 = forty-one
- 42 = forty-two
Forty can be used when writing ages, quantities, prices, measurements, dates, scores, and other numerical information.
Examples of “Forty”
- She is forty years old.
- I have forty dollars.
- There are forty students in the class.
- He ran forty kilometers.
- The book has forty pages.
What Does “Fourty” Mean?
Fourty is not the standard English spelling of 40.
It is a misspelling of forty.
You may occasionally see “fourty” in informal writing, online posts, or documents containing spelling errors, but it should not be used in standard written English.
For example:
❌ I have fourty books.
✅ I have forty books.
The same rule applies whether you are writing an essay, email, application, report, school assignment, or formal document.
Forty vs Fourty: Comparison Table
| Spelling | Correct? | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forty | ✅ Yes | The number 40 | She is forty years old. |
| Fourty | ❌ No | Misspelling of forty | ❌ She is fourty years old. |
| Four | ✅ Yes | The number 4 | I have four books. |
| Fortieth | ✅ Yes | 40th in order | Today is his fortieth birthday. |
When Should You Use “Forty” or “Fourty”?
Use “forty” when writing the number 40
Whenever you spell out the number 40, use forty.
Examples:
- forty people
- forty minutes
- forty dollars
- forty years
- forty questions
- forty miles
Do not use “fourty”
Fourty is not an alternative spelling.
❌ Fourty students attended.
✅ Forty students attended.
Use “fortieth” for 40th
When you are talking about position or order, the correct ordinal form is fortieth.
This is my fortieth birthday.
Not:
❌ This is my fourtieth birthday.
Notice that the “u” is still absent.
Use “four” for the number 4
Do not confuse four and forty.
I have four apples.
I have forty apples.
The first sentence refers to 4, while the second refers to 40.
12 Examples of “Forty”
- She is forty years old.
- There are forty students in the school.
- He saved forty dollars.
- The journey takes forty minutes.
- We need forty chairs for the event.
- The book contains forty chapters.
- She scored forty points in the game.
- The company has forty employees.
- He bought forty tickets for the concert.
- The building is forty meters tall.
- They celebrated their fortieth anniversary.
- I waited for forty minutes.
These examples show that forty can be used with ages, quantities, measurements, time, money, scores, and ordinal expressions.
Common Mistakes
Mistake 1: Writing “fourty”
❌ There are fourty students.
✅ There are forty students.
The correct spelling always drops the “u.”
Mistake 2: Assuming “four” + “ty” equals “fourty”
English spelling does not always work by simply adding an ending to the base word.
Although:
four → four
the number 40 is:
forty
not:
❌ fourty
Mistake 3: Writing “fourtieth”
The ordinal form of forty is:
fortieth
Not:
❌ fourtieth
For example:
She celebrated her fortieth birthday.
Mistake 4: Confusing “forty” with “four”
Remember that:
- four = 4
- forty = 40
The spelling of forty does not contain the “u” found in four.
Mistake 5: Assuming “fourty” is acceptable because people understand it
People may understand what you mean when you write fourty, but that does not make it correct standard spelling.
For school, professional, academic, and formal writing, always use forty.
What Is an Easy Memory Trick?
Here is the simplest memory trick:
Forty has no “u.”
You can also remember:
Four has a “u,” but forty does not.
Try memorizing this pair:
4 = four
40 = forty
Another useful trick is to remember that fortieth also has no “u”:
forty → fortieth
So if you remember forty, you will also know how to spell fortieth correctly.
American vs British English
There is no spelling difference between American and British English for this word.
Both use:
forty
Both reject fourty as the standard spelling.
For example:
American English:
She is forty years old.
British English:
She is forty years old.
The same spelling is used in both varieties.
Similar Words
Understanding related number words can help you remember the spelling.
Four
Four means 4.
I have four pencils.
Forty
Forty means 40.
I have forty pencils.
Fourteen
Fourteen means 14 and retains the “u” from four.
There are fourteen students.
Fourth
Fourth means number 4 in a sequence.
She finished fourth.
Fortieth
Fortieth means 40th in a sequence.
This is his fortieth birthday.
Forty-one
Forty-one means 41.
She has forty-one books.
Forty-two
Forty-two means 42.
The answer is forty-two.
Final Verdict
Forty is correct. Fourty is incorrect.
When you write the number 40 in words, always spell it:
forty
Do not write:
❌ fourty
The missing “u” is simply part of the standard spelling. This rule is the same in American and British English.
Also remember the ordinal form:
fortieth
not fourtieth.
The easiest rule is:
Four has a “u”; forty does not.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it forty or fourty?
The correct spelling is forty. Fourty is a misspelling.
Why is forty not spelled fourty?
English spelling does not always preserve every letter of a related word. The established standard spelling of the number 40 is forty, without the “u” found in four.
Is “fourty” ever correct?
No. Fourty is not the standard spelling of 40. Use forty instead.
How do you spell 40 in words?
The number 40 is spelled forty.
How do you spell 40th?
The ordinal form is fortieth.
She celebrated her fortieth birthday.
Is “forty” the same in American and British English?
Yes. Both American and British English use forty.
Why do people spell forty as fourty?
People often make this mistake because they associate forty with four and assume the “u” should remain. However, the standard spelling is forty.
Is “forty” a noun or adjective?
Forty can function in different ways depending on the sentence. It can act as a number or determiner, as in “forty students,” and can also be used as a noun in contexts such as “the forties.”
Remember This
The most important rule is simple:
40 = forty
Never:
❌ fourty
Remember these related forms:
- 4 → four
- 40 → forty
- 4th → fourth
- 40th → fortieth
The key difference is the missing u in forty.
Conclusion
If you are unsure whether to write forty or fourty, always choose forty. It is the correct standard spelling of the number 40 in both American and British English. Although it may seem logical to write “fourty” because the number 4 is spelled “four,” English uses the established spelling forty instead.
The best way to remember it is to memorize the pair four = 4 and forty = 40. Also remember that the ordinal form is fortieth, not “fourtieth.” Once you learn that the “u” disappears in both forty and fortieth, this common spelling mistake becomes much easier to avoid.
