Afar means at or to a great distance; distant in space or time. It is used to describe something happening or existing well away from the speaker or reference point, or an event that is not immediate. The term often appears in literary or formal contexts to convey separation or remoteness.
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"They could see the distant hills far afar from the village."
"The memory of that moment still lingers afar, in a forgotten corner of her mind."
"Ships disappeared from sight, moving farther away, drifting afar on the horizon."
"The policy aimed to bring education to people living afar from major urban centers."
Afar traces to Old English afar (akin to German fernanfar and Dutch ver, from a + far). The prefix a- indicates movement away or separation, paired with far, meaning distant. In Middle English, afor(e) (also spelled afar) appeared in texts to denote distance or remoteness, often in poetic or narrative contexts. The sense broadened from physical distance to temporal distance or abstraction (e.g., events far in the future). Over time, usage consolidated into fixed phrases like “far and wide” or “afar off,” but “afar” as a standalone adverb or prepositional modifier retained its emphasis on distance. In modern English, afar is relatively formal or literary, less common in everyday speech, and frequently found in poetic lines or travel writing to evoke distance and perspective. First known uses appear in Old English and early Middle English manuscripts, with continued usage in later literary works to describe places seen from far away or moments distant in time. The word’s appeal lies in its crisp, almost architectural sense of separation, making it a useful stylistic device in descriptive prose.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "afar" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "afar"
-car sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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Say it as a-FAR, with two syllables and primary stress on the second syllable. In IPA for US/UK/AU, /əˈfɑːr/ (US: /əˈfɑːr/; UK/AU often /əˈfɑː/ without the final rhotic r in non-rhotic contexts). Begin with a weak schwa in the first syllable, then an open back unrounded vowel in the second, and end with /r/ in rhotic accents. You can listen to native usage on Forvo or YouGlish for quick audio reference: search “afar.”
Common errors include treating it as a single-syllable word (af-AR) or vocalizing as /əˈfer/ with an unstressed final vowel. Another mistake is misplacing stress as first syllable or flattening the second vowel to a short /ɒ/ or /æ/. Correct these by pronouncing a clear two-syllable rhythm: /əˈfɑːr/ (US) or /əˈfɑː/ (UK/AU) with the second syllable held long and the /r/ pronounced in rhotic accents. Practice with minimal pairs and a two-beat tempo to lock the stress.
In US English, you’ll typically hear /əˈfɑːr/ with rhotic /r/—the /r/ is pronounced and the second vowel is a long open back /ɑː/. UK English tends to be non-rhotic in many variants, so you may hear /əˈfɑː/ with a silent or weakly pronounced final /r/; the vowel quality remains similar. Australian English usually follows a rhotic pattern with /əˈfɑː/ or /əˈfɑːr/, and speakers may exhibit a slightly more centralized or diphthongized /ɑː/ depending on region. Listen to regional samples for subtle vowel length and r-coloring differences.
Its difficulty lies in the two-syllable rhythm with primary stress on the second syllable and the subtle vowel qualities: a reduced first syllable /ə/ followed by a strong /fɑː/ nucleus and an /r/ in rhotic varieties. English non-rhotic varieties may drop or weaken the final /r/, causing perceived mismatch with learners’ L1 patterns. Additionally, the initial velar /f/ combines with a domed schwa-run, which can create a slight blending if you don’t separate the syllables clearly. Focus on isolating /ə/ then releasing into /ˈfɑːr/.
The key tip is to maintain a crisp schwa in the first syllable and emphasize the second syllable with a clear /ɑː/ and explicit rhotic or non-rhotic ending depending on your target accent. Think of it as a two-beat phrase: a + FAR, with a noticeable mora on the second syllable. If your mouth tends to cluster sounds, practice by isolating /ə/ + /fɑː/ separately before combining, and feel for the tip of the tongue staying low for /ɑː/ while the lips remain relaxed.
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