Sound-alike words
Forth vs. Fourth
Forth means forward, onward or out into view, as in back and forth. Fourth means number four in a series, or one of four equal parts. A dog runs back and forth; a runner finishes fourth.
| Word | Part of speech | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| forth | adverb | forward, onward, or out into view |
| fourth | adjective | coming after the third in order; number four in a series |
| noun | one of four equal parts of something; a quarter |
Forth
adverb: forward, onward, or out into view
- The dog ran back and forth along the fence.
- In a short memo, she set forth her ideas for the new office.
Fourth
adjective: coming after the third in order; number four in a series
- Our apartment is on the fourth floor.
- Marcus finished fourth in the spelling bee.
noun: one of four equal parts of something; a quarter
- About a fourth of the class was out sick.
- Cut each sandwich into fourths for the party.
How to remember the difference
Fourth contains four, so it is about the number. Forth drops the u and simply moves forward, as in back and forth.
Good to know
Forth appears mostly in set phrases: back and forth, and so forth, bring forth, hold forth (talk at length). The US holiday is the Fourth of July.
Spot the mistake
The kids ran back and
fourthforth across the yard.Correct: The kids ran back and forth across the yard.
This is my
forthfourth cup of coffee today.Correct: This is my fourth cup of coffee today.
Check yourself
Pick the word that fits each sentence.
1. Our flight leaves on the of June.
Answer: fourth. This is a date, number four in a series, so fourth fits.
2. The cat paced back and by the door.
Answer: forth. The phrase back and forth describes direction, not a number, so forth fits.