The spelling of the word "fifty" may seem counterintuitive at first, but it follows the conventions of English spelling. The IPA phonetic transcription of the word is /ˈfɪfti/. The "f" sound is followed by the short "i" sound, represented phonetically by the symbol "ɪ." The "f" sound is then followed by the "t" sound, represented by the symbol "t." The ending "y" sound is represented by the letter "y." This spelling follows the standard pronunciation of the English language, with the emphasis on the first syllable.
Fifty is a cardinal number derived from the base number 10, commonly known as a numeral representing the quantity or amount of 50. It falls between the numbers forty-nine (49) and fifty-one (51) in numerical value. The term "fifty" is often used to denote a specific numerical count or as a reference to the 50th position in a sequence. It is commonly expressed using Arabic numerals as "50."
The word "fifty" has its etymological roots in Old English, derived from the Middle English term "fifti," which evolved from the Old English "fifig." The number "five" forms the basis of "fifty," indicating a quantity of five tens or a multiple of ten. The concept of fifty holds significance in various fields and contexts. For instance, it is frequently associated with age, marking the milestone of reaching the age of fifty years.
In numerical operations, fifty is utilized as a significant marker in calculations such as percentages and proportions. It often serves as a midpoint or division within various measurement scales, ranges, or intervals. The term "fifty" can also be used figuratively to indicate a considerable quantity, level, or magnitude. Furthermore, it is frequently employed as a numeric value for representation or identification purposes in sports jersey numbers, product branding, room numbers, and more. Overall, "fifty" is a fundamental numerical concept with diverse applications across various domains.
Five times ten.
Etymological and pronouncing dictionary of the English language. By Stormonth, James, Phelp, P. H. Published 1874.
* The statistics data for these misspellings percentages are collected from over 15,411,110 spell check sessions on www.spellchecker.net from Jan 2010 - Jun 2012.
The word "fifty" originated from the Old English word "fīftig", which can be broken down into two parts. The first part, "fīf", means "five", and is derived from the Proto-Germanic word "fimf". The second part, "-tig", means "ten" and was borrowed from Old Norse. Hence, the combination of "fīf" and "-tig" in Old English formed "fīftig", meaning "five tens" or "five times ten". This etymology explains the numerical value of fifty as well.