A few weeks ago when I posted on the difference between conscious and conscience, Dana and Judy mentioned another troublesome pair: further and farther. Well ladies, I’m here to clear up your confusion.
Maybe. These words have been used interchangeably for hundreds of years. No wonder we mix them up! Looking up their definitions doesn’t help much.
Farther – from Middle English ferther
- Adverb: at a greater distance; to a greater degree (farther down the hall)
- Adjective: more distant (he dreamed of traveling to farther lands)
Further –from Middle English further
- Adverb: farther, to a greater extent (Mom was further irritated by the interruption)
- Verb: to promote or move forward (He worked hard to further his education)
- Adjective: going or extending beyond; additional (We aimed for the further hills)
- Sentence modifier: Further, I have no intention of giving you the car.
But Webster’s Dictionary and Grammar Girl gave me a few tips to keep them straight.
When you’re talking about physical distance, use farther.
(Memory trick: “far” is in “farther”.)
- My goal was to run farther on the trail than I ever had before.
When you’re describing figurative distance, use further.
- I will not discuss this with you further.
If you’re not sure, or physical distance isn’t clear (as in before we go any farther with this plan), use further. But don’t sweat it. Many reputable grammar resources, such as the Oxford English Dictionary, say it’s okay to use the words interchangeably.
So, Judy and Dana, you’re off the hook!
What other word pairs give you trouble? I might use your suggestion for another post! We can all learn together.
Be sure to check out my piece on the difference between e.g and i.e.
Thanks,
Julia
I was away this weekend and am catching up – I was so happy to see this, Julia! So physical distance=far, the rest=fur. I can remember that! Thanks. If I come up with other pairs (and I know I will), I will let you know.
Yay! Glad it helped you out, Dana. I’m happy to entertain more grammar questions and quandaries!
Thanks, Julia! I’m glad to know that mostly I am correct. I really appreciate your taking the time to address this dilemma. 🙂
I struggle with those 2 as well but I think I can remember FARther means distance. Another pair of words that I have to stop and think about is effect and affect.
Kathy, those get me too. I feel a blog post coming on… 😉
That trick is great – I even use it with my girls. Another word pair that seems interchangeable but isn’t: Eager/Anxious. And May/Might.
Awesome, Eli, some more word nerdy problems to ponder.
“Far” = physical distance. This is very helpful – thank you! p.s. have you seen Gone Girl yet? I’m sorry if you already wrote about this or I already asked you. Very interested in your opinion!
Amy, I have not seen Gone Girl yet. I heard it was more gory/ graphic than the book. One particular scene seems to be bothering everyone. Your thoughts?
Great explanation! I tend to type farther automatically, but when I read over my sentences and edit, I stop to consider whether I’m really talking about distance. More often than not, I am NOT, and so I change it to further.
But I probably NEVER say further when I’m speaking, which is probably why my fingers want to type farther!
Good point, Dianne. Further sounds so formal, doesn’t it?
Yep, I’ve confused these two before~ thanks for the tips!
Julia,
I don’t always get to read your blog but I love it that you are out there still doing this for us! Thank you!
Jane
Jane, Sorry I haven’t been to your blog much either. I’m glad you’re still out there- thanks for stopping in.