forte

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noun \ˈfȯrt; sense 2 is often ˈfȯr-ˌtā or fȯr-ˈtā or ˈfȯr-tē\

Definition of forte

1 : the part of a sword or foil blade that is between the middle and the hilt and that is the strongest part of the blade
2 : one's strong point

forte was our Word of the Day on 03/22/2010. Hear the podcast!

How do you pronounce forte?

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 ²forte. 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.

Examples of forte in a Sentence

Emily's particular forte was desserts, and most dinner parties ended with three desserts. —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