# Forte Debate **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 5, 2002, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/forte-debate/140752 "2002-12-05T19:25:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![DuhCow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b38774/32.png) [@DuhCow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DuhCow)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2002, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/forte-debate/140752/1 "2002-12-05T19:25:06Z")
i have yet another question. the term ‘forte’ has been giving me a headache. i had always pronounced it ‘for-tay’ until a year ago, when i heard that the correct way to pronounce it is ‘fort.’ i told my roommate this, and she says i’m wrong. she’s originally from france, and says it’s ‘for-tay.’ which is it??? ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2002, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/forte-debate/140752/2 "2002-12-05T19:46:07Z")
The musical notation is pronounced for-tay and is from Italian. The noun meaning “strength” or “a person’s strong point” is from French and was traditionally pronounced as one syllable in English, “fort”. The “wrong” two-syllable pronunciation has become so common that the OED lists it first, but the AHD lists it second. I am the only person I know who pronounces it as one syllable. The noun in French is spelled _fort_, from the masculine adjective _fort_ (“strong”). English for some reason spells it with a final -e, as if the noun were formed from the feminine adjective _forte_. ---
**Author:** ![High\_Deity](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9a140/32.png) [@High\_Deity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/High_Deity)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2002, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/forte-debate/140752/3 "2002-12-05T21:04:59Z")
i agree with bibliophage. i pronounce the word forte as “fort” when refering to a person’s strength. i believe that “for-tay” refers to holding a musical note for an extended period of time (i’m sure another person will correct me on this). i am also the only person i know that says it as “fort”. ---
**Author:** ![CurtC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ce73a5/32.png) [@CurtC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CurtC)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2002, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/forte-debate/140752/4 "2002-12-05T22:11:59Z")
I like the etymology of this word. The strong part of a sword blade, where it’s thick near the hilt, is the forte. Guess what the weakest part on the end is called? The foible. ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2002, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/forte-debate/140752/5 "2002-12-05T22:33:09Z")
The musical notation “forte” or just “f” means loud. mf - mezzo forte - medium loud f - loud ff - fortissimo - very loud fff - fortississimo - very, very loud etc.