Farther, Further: What’s the Difference?
Some authorities offer differentiated meanings for farther and further, but the short answer to the question of which to use for what is that you can just take your choice.
The word farther is a comparative of far. Your house is farther from the school than ours.
The word further comes from an Old English word meaning “to impel.” We still use the word further as a verb: He gives frequent speeches in order to further his cause
.
As adverbs, both have come to mean “at a greater distance.”
How much farther is it to the station?
I’m too tired to walk any further.
The OED says
In standard English the form farther is usually preferred where the word is intended to be the comparative of far, while further is used where the notion of far is altogether absent
It concedes, however, that “there is a large intermediate class of instances in which the choice between the two forms is arbitrary.”
According to the Online Etymology Dictionary,
There is no historical basis for the notion that farther is of physical distance and further of degree or quality.
As long ago as 1926 H.W. Fowler (A Dictionary of Modern English Usage) observed:
The fact is surely that hardly anyone uses the two words for different occasions; most people prefer one or the other for all purposes, and the preference of the majority is for further.
Differentiating between farther and further as adverbs could be useful. We could use farther only when actual distance is involved and save further for other uses. But as Fowler observed, most people are not going to use the words in that way.
About all one can say is that, as adverbs, farther and further are interchangeable. As a verb, further is the preferable form.
Maeve on December 24, 2007 
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hhmmm…..
i see now
Thank you very much!
I always preferred using further, but usually when reading novels and articles I’ve noticed the usage of ‘farther’ more.
I have two questions which I hope you can help me with. The first being, is it grammatically correct to say for instance, ‘that’ in this clause: ‘two questions that I hope you can help me with’, can I use ‘that’ instead of ‘which’ ? I don’t know if it may be from British English, as that’s what I grew up on using.
Secondly, I am a bit embarrassed to ask this, but when do I use these : & ; ?
Chippy, why use either “that” or “which” at all? I’d prefer “which”, but if you read the sentence aloud, neither are necessary.
Good article.
According to the article, these below two expressions are both
correct?
For further information, please contact ~
For farther information, please contact ~
further also means “to extend” as a verb.
could you give some more examples of further as a verb?
interesting…
i’ve never really paid attention, but now that you’ve brought it to my attention….
i’ll look for it.
thanks.
Ann,
No, “For farther information” would not be correct.
That would have to be “for further information.”
As a verb — One would further one’s aims. Further one’s interests.
We typically use “further” as a verb and to demonstrate progressions of concepts, saving “farther” for comparative distances.
For example:
You will further your cause if you stop shouting. Furthermore, your shouts carry farther than mine.
Regarding “that” and “which”: you might be interested in our article on that topic, which is available at http://www.writing.com/main/vi.....id/1324002. This article is also included in our training manual, which is available for purchase from our website.
more information, I found that “further” is used in British English, where “farther” is used in “American English”. both are comparative forms. We can say “my house is farther (further) than yours. But we can’t say “let me know if you hear farther information”. we say “let me know if you hear further information”. Am I correct?please let me know.
Limey,
An American might say either
“My house is farther than yours.”
or
“My house is further than yours.”
but “I’m waiting for farther information” is totally unidiomatic on both sides of the pond.