IELTS Vocabulary: Understanding the Number ‘Forty’
Learn about the word ‘forty’ for your IELTS exam. This video covers its meaning, usage, spelling, and common mistakes to avoid. Improve your English skills with practical examples and tips for using this important number in everyday situations.
Today we’re going to learn about the word forty, a common number you might encounter in your IELTS exam.
Understanding this word will help you in both the listening and reading sections of the test.
Word type:
Forty is a cardinal number. This means it’s used to count and quantify things.
Meaning: Forty represents the number 40.
It’s the number that comes after thirty nine and before forty one.
Word history: The word forty comes from Old English, where it was spelled feowertig.
It’s related to the word four, as forty is four times ten.
Antonyms: There aren’t true antonyms for numbers, but we can consider some opposites in context.
For example, if forty means many, few could be considered an opposite.
Synonyms: While numbers don’t have exact synonyms, forty can sometimes be expressed as two score, four decades, or XL in Roman numerals.
Examples use in sentences: Here are three sentences using the word forty: The speed limit on this road is forty miles per hour.
It rained for forty days and forty nights in the story of Noah’s Ark. Life begins at forty is a popular saying in English.
Common errors in use: A common mistake is spelling forty as fourty. Remember, there’s no u in forty. Also, be careful not to confuse forty with fourteen, which is a much smaller number.
To wrap up, forty is an important number to know for your IELTS exam. It’s spelled f-o-r-t-y, represents the number 40, and is used in many everyday situations.
Practice using it in your own sentences to become more comfortable with this word. Good luck with your studies!

