Farther and further can both mean at or to a greater distance. Use further when you mean additional, as in further questions, or when you need a verb meaning help advance, as in further the project. If you want a consistent editing convention, use farther for physical distance and further for progress, degree, and other abstract uses.
Both words work for physical distance
The trail crew walked two miles farther before lunch. You can write two miles further with the same meaning. Both also work before a noun to mean more distant, as in the farther campsite or the further campsite. Merriam-Webster’s usage guide to farther and further.
Further is a good default for progress and degree
By Friday, the crew was further along in planning the footbridge. Here, along marks a stage in the work. Farther along in planning also occurs because progress can be pictured as distance. For a consistent house style, use farther along the trail for a place and further along in planning for a stage. Merriam-Webster on overlap in usage and Canada’s Translation Bureau on the style convention.
In We’ll discuss the footbridge further at the next meeting, further means more or in more detail. It describes how much discussion will take place.
Further for additions and as a verb
- We need further details about the site. The crew needs additional details.
- Further, we need permission to build. The word introduces another point and means in addition.
- The grant will further the footbridge project. As a verb, further means the grant will help advance the work.
Practice choosing farther or further
- Can both words fill this blank? Explain. We cycled three miles ___ before stopping for water.
- Use the article’s editing convention to fill both blanks. The survey crew walked ___ along the beach and got ___ along with its survey.
- Edit the adjective if it means additional. The insurer asked for farther documents.
- Replace help advance with one word. The new apprenticeship program will help advance the library’s digitization project.
- What does further tell you about the discussion? The board agreed to discuss the proposal further on Tuesday.
- Replace In addition with one of the two words. In addition, the report lists two ways to reduce costs.
Show answers and explanations
- Both work. Three miles farther and three miles further give the same physical distance.
- The survey crew walked farther along the beach and got further along with its survey. The first blank describes distance traveled. The second describes progress on the work.
- The insurer asked for further documents. Further means additional and describes the documents.
- The new apprenticeship program will further the library’s digitization project. After will, further is a verb meaning help the project move ahead.
- The board agreed to discuss the proposal more or in greater detail on Tuesday. Further modifies discuss and describes the extent of the discussion.
- Further, the report lists two ways to reduce costs. The opening word adds a point to what came before.
Related grammar guides
- See how another pair changes with quantity and measurement. Fewer vs. Less.
- Compare two prepositions for describing position and relationships. Among vs. Between.
- Find examples of more easily confused word pairs. Commonly Confused Words in English.
