The word forte, in its most common use, refers to something at which a person excels, originating from the French fort. The pronunciation of forte when used in this sense is disputed, with most people pronouncing it with two syllables, as IPA , rather than like the word fort, which some insist is the only correct pronunciation. The pronunciation of the other uses of the word are always the two-syllable pronunciation. See List of words of disputed pronunciation for more about the dispute.

Other meanings of the word forte are as follows:

In musical terminology, forte, from the Italian, is an instruction to play loudly (it literally means "strong"). It is usually abbreviated f and is contrasted with piano (quietly, abbreviated to p). See dynamics for more details.

In fencing, forte is the part of the blade nearest the hilt, where it is strongest.

In photography, Forte is a manufacturer of paper and film, including the notable Polygrade make of paper.

Charles Forte is a famous hotelier who built a multibillion pound business of the Forte group

Will Forte is an American actor and current cast member of Saturday Night Live.

The Mega Man character Bass is known as Forte in the Japanese Rockman games.