Further vs. Farther

I am drafting an email containing the word further. I questioned whether further or farther was more correct, and consulted a dictionary Web site to find out which word was correct to use. The dictionary listed both words together having the same definition.

Not content with my finding, I opened the Common English Errors site to see if Mr. had put an entry for this topic. I was delighted to find this explanation:

Some authorities (like the Associated Press) insist on “farther” to refer to physical distance and on “further” to refer to an extent of time or degree, but others treat the two words as interchangeable except for insisting on “further” for “in addition,” and “moreover.” You’ll always be safe in making the distinction; some people get really testy about this.

There you have it. I have created an RSS feed to get a random "error of the day" at http://www.scottsbaldwin.com/eod.php?feed=rss. Enjoy.