LingoDrop
French · Pronunciation Guide
How do you pronounce "fort" in French?
for — an open "o", a throat "r", and a silent "t".
One syllable ending on the "r". The word doubles as an adverb meaning "loudly", so "parler fort" means to speak up — same sound, different job.
Listen: fort
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Hear it in a sentence
Ce café est très fort.
This coffee is very strong.
Listen: Ce café est très fort.
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"Ce café est très fort" ends on the adjective, so both the vowel and the throat "r" get their full value. "Café" has an accent aigu giving a closed "ay": ka-FAY. There is no liaison between "très" and "fort", since "fort" begins with a consonant, so the silent "s" of "très" stays silent.
Where English speakers slip
The English "fort" is spelled identically, and the American version merges the vowel into an "r"-coloured blur while releasing the "t". French keeps a clean open "o", makes the "r" separately at the back of the throat, and leaves the "t" silent. The feminine "forte" is where that "t" reappears — which is also the source of the English musical term, borrowed with its "t" intact.