While both "fortunate" and "lucky" describe positive events, there's a subtle difference in meaning. "Fortunate" implies a positive outcome that resulted from skill, hard work, or good judgment. It suggests a more deserved or earned piece of good fortune. "Lucky," on the other hand, emphasizes chance or coincidence. It suggests that a positive outcome happened purely by accident, without any particular effort or planning on the part of the individual.

For example:

• Fortunate: "She was fortunate to get the job because she was the most qualified candidate." (Meaning: Her skills and qualifications led to the positive outcome.)
• Lucky: "He was lucky to win the lottery; he didn't even pick the numbers himself." (Meaning: Winning was a matter of pure chance.)

Another example:

• Fortunate: "I was fortunate to find such a supportive friend." (Meaning: The friendship may have been partly due to the person's own positive qualities.)
• Lucky: "I was lucky to find a $20 bill on the street." (Meaning: Finding the money happened by chance.)

Notice that "fortunate" often implies a more planned or deserved outcome, while "lucky" highlights the role of chance or unexpected events. In essence, you could say that "fortunate" leans toward deservingness, while "lucky" emphasizes random occurrences.

Here's one more example to clarify:

• Fortunate: "She was fortunate to escape unharmed from the accident because she always wears her seatbelt." (Meaning: Wearing a seatbelt is a wise choice that contributed to the positive outcome.)
• Lucky: "He was lucky to escape unharmed from the accident, he wasn't wearing a seatbelt." (Meaning: Escaping the accident without injury was purely by chance, independent of any proactive behaviour.)

Choosing the right word depends on the context and the cause of the positive outcome. Happy learning!