How Do You Spell FORTNIGHT?

Pronunciation: [fˈɔːtna͡ɪt] (IPA)

The word "fortnight" is spelled with the IPA phonetic transcription [fɔːtnaɪt]. The first syllable "fort" is pronounced with the vowel sound represented by the letter "o" and the consonant cluster "rt". The second syllable "night" is pronounced with the vowel sound represented by the letters "igh" and the consonant cluster "n" and "t". The word comes from the Old English word "feowertiene niht," meaning "14 nights," and is commonly used in British English to refer to a two-week period.

FORTNIGHT Meaning and Definition

1. Fortnight is a noun that refers to a unit of time equivalent to a period of fourteen days or two weeks. The term is primarily used in British English and is derived from the combination of the words "fort" and "night," with "fort" signifying "fourteen" and "night" meaning the length of time from sunset to sunrise. This term originated during the medieval period, when time was often measured by nights rather than by days.

   A fortnight encapsulates a specific time span, typically starting from a given day and ending fourteen days later. It is commonly used when referring to a timeframe between two specific events, appointments, or periods, providing a concise and easily understandable measure of time. For instance, one might say, "I'll be on vacation for a fortnight," indicating that their absence will last for exactly two weeks.

   The usage of the term "fortnight" is prevalent in various contexts, such as work schedules, holiday plans, or marketing campaigns. Its adoption goes beyond solely denoting the passage of time, as it also carries a cultural connotation associated with British English usage. Although less common in other dialects, the term's straightforward and concise nature makes it easily comprehensible regardless of one's linguistic background.

2. Fourteen days, or two weeks.

   Etymological and pronouncing dictionary of the English language. By Stormonth, James, Phelp, P. H. Published 1874.

Top Common Misspellings for FORTNIGHT *

• forthnight 46.6666666%
• fornight 46.6666666%

* 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.

Other Common Misspellings for FORTNIGHT

• fourtnight
• fortright
• fortnighlt
• foortnight
• fortnighlty
• fortnighly
• otnight
• fotnight
• forntight
• forreight
• Aeronight
• fourtright

Etymology of FORTNIGHT

The word fortnight originates from the combination of two older English words: fortnight and night. Fortnight is a contraction of the Old English term feowertyne niht, which means fourteen nights. In Middle English, this was abbreviated to fourtenight, and eventually evolved into the modern term fortnight.

Similar spelling words for FORTNIGHT

• forty-nine,
• fortunate,
• tonight,
• Fortino,
• fortnightly,
• fortune,
• forty-ninth,
• forty-niner,
• Fortney,
• Fortin,
• fortini,
• four times,
• fortner,
• fortman,
• Fortunato,
• fortuna.

Plural form of FORTNIGHT is FORTNIGHTS