Why is it forty, and not fourty?

Question

As it is four and not for. Where did the u go?

Answer 1

In response to "I hate finks" the question comes from the fact that 4 is spelled four and yet 40 is spelled forty. We here in America still have the 'u' in four.

In response to the question, it's because, when pronounced correctly, there are two vowels sounds in four. It's pronounced foh-er, except it's slurred into one syllable. Forty, on the other hand, does not have the extra vowel sound in it. It's simply fohr-ty.

Most of the time when words seem to have silent letters, they're actually just subtle letters that people tend to be too lazy to bother pronouncing.

Answer 2

Forty Or Fourty

Answer 3

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
Why is it forty, and not fourty?
As it is four and not for. Where did the u go?

Answer 4

the U in four is to diffrentiate the 4 from for, just as the w in 2 (two) diffrentiates 2 from to and too.

In forty it is not necessary as there is no other word forty.

If you spelled it fourty, the u would cause the "or" to sound more like our in sour, now say it with me

sour-ty, fourty,

now say sorty and forty.

Answer 5

It is Four, Fourth, Fourteen, but always Forty.....don't know why, but it is never spelled with a 'u' in England, USA, Australia, Canada or anywhere else for that matter.

Just an anomaly I suppose.

Answer 6

Because it takes one word away from Canadians (such as myself) and the British (my family) to add a "u" to. i.e. , colour, honour, favour...I could go on. But they just won't give us forty. Sad, eh?

Answer 7

because fourty looks weird

Answer 8

I have often wondered that myself. Makes NO sense...whoever made that rule just likes to keep things confusing for some people.

Answer 9

the latter, forty; noun cadinal that is the product of ten and four. also a ajective; for being ten more than thirty

Answer 10

It's crazy isn't it? I always blank out when writing a check for $40.00. hee hee.