Fourth or Forth: Which Spelling Is Correct?

One letter, u, separates these two words, and they sound identical in American speech. “Fourth or Forth: Which Spelling Is Correct?” trips writers because your ear offers no help at all: the answer depends entirely on whether a number is involved. Get it wrong and “she finished forth in the race” quietly breaks your sentence. This guide shows you which spelling means what, the set phrases that always take forth, and the exceptions that catch people out. Find more plain-English spelling guides on the KnowsVista homepage.

⚡ Quick answer

When to use fourth

Use fourth whenever the number 4 is involved: rank in a race, dates, chapters, or a quarter of something. It is the ordinal form of four, just as third is the ordinal of three. Spell it out or write 4th; both are fine.

• She finished fourth in the state championship race.
• The permit expires on the fourth of November.
• This is the fourth time I have explained the rule.
• About one-fourth of the staff called in sick.

When to use forth

Use forth for movement forward, outward, or into view, and inside fixed expressions. It never carries a number. If you can swap in forward or onward without breaking the sentence, forth is the spelling you want.

• He stepped forth and introduced himself.
• The judge asked the bailiff to bring forth the prisoner.
• The sun broke forth from behind the clouds.
• They argued back and forth for an hour.

The tricky exceptions

Fixed phrases that always take “forth”

English keeps forth alive mostly inside set expressions, and these are non-negotiable. And so forth (etc.), back and forth, set forth, bring forth, and hold forth never take the u. Memorize the short list and the most common errors disappear. Writer’s Digest’s forth vs fourth grammar guide states the same test: if you know how to spell the number four, the ordinal is easy, fourth contains four, while forth is directional.

• and so forth, “packets, envelopes, and so forth” (and more of the same)
• set forth, “the report sets forth the new policy” (to state in detail)
• hold forth, “he held forth on taxes for an hour” (to talk at length)

Proper nouns: the Forth and the Fourth

Two famous names override the rule. The Forth is a river in south-central Scotland, always without the u. The Fourth is shorthand for American Independence Day, July 4th, always with the u, because it is the ordinal. Copy proper names exactly; never “correct” them to fit the pattern. The same look-alike logic applies to other word pairs like farther vs further.

• The Forth Bridge spans the Firth of Forth. (river, no u)
• We watched the fireworks on the Fourth. (July 4th, with u)

“Fourth or Forth: Which Spelling Is Correct?”, at a glance

Quick practice

Fill in the blank with fourth or forth:

1. He brought ________ his favorite idea for the project.
2. She was ________ in line to buy a ticket.
3. We packed sandwiches, drinks, fruit, and so ________.
4. The ________ of July is a national holiday in the US.
5. The witness came ________ with new evidence.

Answer key:

• 1. forth (bring forth = bring forward, fixed phrase)
• 2. fourth (position 4 in a line, the number fits)
• 3. forth (and so forth, fixed phrase, never “fourth”)
• 4. Fourth (July 4th, the ordinal; capital F)
• 5. forth (came forth = came forward into view)

Frequently Asked Questions

Are fourth and forth pronounced the same?

In American English, essentially yes, both sound like /fɔrθ/. That is why the ear cannot help: you must decide from the meaning. If the number 4 fits, it is fourth; if forward fits, it is forth.

Is “forth” ever an ordinal?

No. Forth is an adverb meaning forward or onward, never a number. The ordinal is always fourth. Writing “the forth chapter” is a spelling error.

What does “and so forth” mean?

It means “and more of the same”, it works exactly like etc. Example: “Bring pens, notebooks, folders, and so forth.” It is a fixed phrase and always takes the forth spelling.

Why is the river spelled “Forth”?

Because it is a proper name, and proper names keep their own spellings. The Forth is a river in Scotland; the spelling has nothing to do with the number four. Never “correct” a name to fit a grammar rule.

Final thoughts

“Fourth or Forth: Which Spelling Is Correct?” comes down to one question: is a number involved? Fourth holds the number four and marks 4th place; forth moves forward, onward, and into view inside phrases like and so forth. Learn the two memory tricks, FOURth has FOUR, forth = forward without the w, and the pair is solved. The same careful look separates other close pairs, like therefor or therefore. One question asked, two words placed.