How to pronounce fortune
Say it like FOR-chun. Fortune has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (FOR).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce fortune. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- FOR
- chun
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Fortune pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- FORSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "aw" in law.
- chunKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
American vs British pronunciation of fortune
- Americans pronounce the r after a vowel; most British speakers leave it silent and lengthen the vowel instead.
British respelling: FAW-chun.
What does fortune mean?
- an unknown and unpredictable phenomenon that causes an event to result one way rather than another“bad luck caused his downfall”“we ran into each other by pure chance”
- a large amount of wealth or prosperity
- an unknown and unpredictable phenomenon that leads to a favorable outcome“it was my good luck to be there”“they say luck is a lady”
Where does fortune come from?
From Middle English fortune, from Old French fortune, from Latin fortuna (“fate, luck”).
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Questions about saying fortune
How do you pronounce fortune?
Say FOR-chun. The American pronunciation is /ˈfɔrtʃən/. In British English it is /ˈfɔːtʃən/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in fortune?
Fortune has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (FOR). Broken into parts: FOR · chun.
Is fortune pronounced differently in British English?
Yes. Americans pronounce the r after a vowel; most British speakers leave it silent and lengthen the vowel instead. The British form is /ˈfɔːtʃən/ (FAW-chun).