Far and Few Between vs. Few and Far Between – Which is Correct?

The correct idiom is “few and far between,” meaning uncommon or occurring at wide intervals. “Far and few between” is a common word-order error, not the standard expression in modern American English. Use “few” first and “far” second when describing scarce people, opportunities, events, or things, especially in formal writing.

Far and Few Between or Few and Far Between – Which is Correct?

“Few and far between” is the correct standard expression. It means that something is rare, scarce, or separated by considerable intervals. For example, if successful opportunities are “few and far between,” they do not happen often.

“Far and few between” is generally considered a mistaken reversal of the words. It may appear occasionally in informal writing or speech because the phrase is easy to misremember, but it is not the conventional form used in standard American English.

The Best Trick to Remember the Difference

Remember the phrase in a logical order: first describe the number—“few”—and then describe the distance or frequency—“far between.” You can use the memory sentence: “There are few opportunities, and they are far between.” The first letters also help: Few comes before Far, but the words have different meanings.

Word	Part of Speech	Meaning	Example
few and far between	Fixed idiomatic phrase	Rare, uncommon, or widely separated	Affordable homes in that area are few and far between.
far and few between	Nonstandard word order	A mistaken reversal of the standard idiom	Use “few and far between” instead.

How to Use Few and Far Between

Use few and far between as a fixed phrase to say that people, objects, events, opportunities, or other things are rare. It commonly follows a noun or noun phrase, usually with the verb are or were. The expression can refer to a small quantity, infrequent occurrence, or wide separation in space or time.

The phrase is natural in both casual and formal English. It is often used to emphasize that something exists but is difficult to find or does not happen regularly. It can describe positive, negative, or neutral situations depending on context.

Example 1: Reliable public transportation options are few and far between in the rural region.

Example 2: Opportunities to see the rare birds are few and far between.

Example 3: Moments of complete silence were few and far between during the busy festival.

Etymology of the Phrase Few and Far Between

The expression combines few, meaning a small number, with far between, meaning widely separated from one another. The phrase developed in English as a way to describe things that are both limited in number and separated by significant intervals. Its modern fixed form is few and far between.

Similar questions about choosing the right form arise when distinguishing Between vs. Among in formal writing.

Related Concepts

Understanding how idioms preserve a particular word order makes it easier to use this expression correctly.

• Fixed phrase: A fixed phrase is a group of words commonly used in an established form. Changing the order may make the expression sound unnatural or nonstandard, even if each individual word is familiar.
• Few: Few refers to a small number of countable nouns, such as opportunities, people, or events.
• Far: Far can describe distance or an extensive interval. In this idiom, it suggests that the instances are widely separated in time, place, or occurrence.
• Idiomatic meaning: The complete expression has a conventional meaning that is more specific than simply combining the words independently. It means “rare” or “infrequent.”

Examples from Media and Literature

The standard phrase appears frequently in journalism, fiction, essays, and everyday commentary whenever a writer wants to emphasize rarity or scarcity.

• News reporting: An article about housing may explain that affordable apartments are few and far between in a crowded city.
• Travel writing: A guide to a remote desert may note that sources of fresh water are few and far between.
• Sports commentary: A journalist might write that truly dominant performances were few and far between during a difficult season.
• Historical fiction: A narrator describing wartime conditions may say that moments of peace were few and far between.
• Personal essays: A writer reflecting on a demanding period may observe that chances to rest were few and far between.

Few and Far Between Synonyms

Synonym	Definition
Rare	Not common or not occurring often
Uncommon	Not frequently encountered
Scarce	Available only in small quantities
Infrequent	Happening at widely separated times
Few and scattered	Present in small numbers and spread apart
Hard to come by	Difficult to find or obtain

Frequently Asked Questions

Question 1: Is it “far and few between” or “few and far between”?
The correct standard expression is “few and far between.” “Far and few between” is a nonstandard reversal and should generally be avoided.

Question 2: What does “few and far between” mean?
It means rare, uncommon, or widely separated. It can describe things that happen infrequently or items and people that are difficult to find.

Question 3: Can “few and far between” describe people?
Yes. For example, you can say, “Exceptional mentors are few and far between.” The phrase can modify people, opportunities, events, places, objects, and experiences.

Conclusion

Use “few and far between”, not “far and few between.” The idiom means that something is rare, scarce, or separated by long intervals. Remember that few identifies the small number, while far between describes the distance or time separating each instance. Pro Tip: Using the established word order in professional writing demonstrates precision and strengthens your credibility.