[Ryan Spock]

Interestingly, the dictionary.com definition felt so strongly about the controversy, they included the following note at the entry for "forte":

Usage Note: The word forte, coming from French fort, should properly be pronounced with one syllable, like the English word fort. Common usage, however, prefers the two-syllable pronunciation, (for-tay), which has been influenced possibly by the music term forte borrowed from Italian. In a recent survey a strong majority of the Usage Panel, 74 percent, preferred the two-syllable pronunciation. The result is a delicate situation; speakers who are aware of the origin of the word may wish to continue to pronounce it as one syllable but at an increasing risk of puzzling their listeners.

[yarddog]

Thanks for the information.

[LexBaird]

Well, there you have it. You say tomatoe, I say tahmahto. Luckily, English doesn't have language cops, like the French. Usage evolves, or we would still be pronouncing all those extra letters in plough, ache, and Worcestershire sauce.