Holding down the forte

[penfield]

"Always do right! This will gratify some people and astonish the rest."
– Mark Twain


My former AP English teacher once firmly informed the class, "The word 'forte,' referring to a person's strength, is pronounced 'fort,' like the structure. People who pronounce it 'for-tay' are mouth-breathing ignoramuses."

That may not be verbatim, but the tone of her voice was memorably clear. Since then, I have never forgotten that "fort" is correct and "for-tay" is not.

My trusty Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary employs a more diplomatic summary of the confusion:

usage in forte we have a word derived from French that in its "strong point" sense has no entirely satisfactory pronunciation. Usage writers have denigrated ["for-tay" and the like] because they reflect the influence of the Italian-derived "forte" [meaning "loudly"]. Their recommended pronunciation, "fort," however, does not entirely reflect French either: the French would write the word le fort and would rhyme it with English "for." So you can take your choice, knowing that someone somewhere will dislike whatever variant you choose.

So I don't know what to believe anymore.

There is an underlying principle that still bugs me, though. For the sake of argument, equivocation notwithstanding, let us assume that the "fort" pronunciation is the true and correct one. And let usacknowledge at the same time that "for-tay" remains the predominant pronunciation.

Which do you use? Do you use the "correct" pronunciation, indulging in your own intellectual superiority and sneering down your nose at the vulgus, while risking the probability that no one else will know what you are talking about? Or do you grit your teeth and knowingly use the incorrect but commonly accepted pronunciation, letting the silent shame gnaw at you like a wolf hungry for human flesh? Or do you just avoid the problem by using another word altogether, like "thing"?

I generally go with option (a), but I'm not above (b). And I'm sure I've fallen back on (c). Obviously questions, not answers, are my forte.

Would you use the 'proper' pronunciation, even if everyone else pronounced it wrong?
	Yes, being right is always right.
	No, it is more important to be understood than proper.
	I would find some way to avoid such situations. Who wants to talk like a total nerd, anyway?
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Comments

[pooplord.livejournal.com]

Being a lifelong musician, I also make sure that whenever I say it, I say it loudly.

[aphoenixfalls.livejournal.com]

i'll just stick with fortitude and avoid the confusion altogether. :P

[(Anonymous)]

I personally cannot tolerate the following:

"anyways"
"irregardless"
"where he is at" (the worst) (should be where he is...)
"there's several reasons why..." (should be there are)

All of the above affect me like nails on a blackboard;people are butchering the English language...
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