How do you decide whether to use further vs farther in a sentence? Further and farther are among the plenty of commonly confused word pairs in American English. And this confusion can be linked to the inevitable evolution of language. Historically, farther and further have been interchangeable when we’re talking about distance – whether figurative or physical.
Further vs Farther – Where They Mean the Same:
Although some language experts adhere to the historical interchangeability of the two words when used as adverbs, other experts espouse the use of farther to refer to physical distance and further for figurative distance, as in the examples below:
- The mermaid swam further down the sea, never to be seen again.
- He drove farther than he ever did before.
Though the above distinction is used by many, there’s still no strict rule that restricts us from using both words to refer to distance. Especially because dictionaries provide overlapping definitions. As adverbs, farther and further both mean “at or to a greater distance or more advanced point.”
- Make sure they’ll go no farther than the main gate.
- We hid farther into the woods.
- I can’t see further in the haze.
- Marc has planned his life further than any of his peers.
Related Reading: Which vs That – Introducing Clauses
Further vs Farther – Where They Diverge:
The stark difference between them lies here: As an adverb, further can modify a sentence like furthermore, additionally, and moreover. Farther cannot do the same. Here’s an example:
- I’ve known him for a long time. Further, he was the only friend who supported me since day one. [Here, using farther in place of further would not make sense.]
As an adjective, further means “more, additional, or supplemental” as used in these sentences:
- We need further research on the origin of these words.
- He went abroad to pursue further education.
Farther would be an awkward fit in the first sentence, “We need farther research,” because it wrongly and weirdly implies a more physically distant research. So, further is correct.
The last distinction is the verb function of further. As a verb, further means “to promote, advance, or help the progress of (something).” Farther can’t act as a verb. Here are some examples of further as a verb:
- He’s been using his online platforms to further his political agenda.
- Ria vowed to further the cause of gender equality during her reign.
Do We Go Further or Farther?
We know it’s not a grave mistake to interchange further and farther when talking about distance, but as this century-old practice evolves, we need to stay ahead and embrace the important distinctions mentioned above. Should we go further or farther? Both are correct. Let’s go farther from what we know. Let’s go further and discover more.
Thank you for reading. We hope it’s effective! Always feel free to revisit this page if you ever have any questions about further vs. farther.
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