1. Bob can throw the ball farther than Sam.
2. Bob can throw the ball further than Sam.
1. We will need to look into this farther.
2. We will need to look into this further.
The words “farther” and “further” have come to be almost interchangeable in standard American English, but there remains a distinction between them that may appear on standardized examinations. Many grammarians and English teachers make this distinction as well, so an understanding of the definitions of these words is useful when making word choices.
Both “farther” and “further” mean “to a greater degree or extent.” The distinction is that “farther” is generally used to refer to space and distance, while “further” is generally used to refer to time, degree, or addition.
Bob can throw the ball farther than Sam.
Bob can throw the ball a greater distance than Sam can. In this case, the association of “farther” with space and distance may make its use preferable.
We will need to look into this further.
We will need to spend time looking into this; we will need to look into it to a greater degree; we will need to look into it some more. The association of “further” with time, degree, or addition may make its use preferable in this context.
