Well, is this word confusion backward or backwards?
It all depends. Are you American or British? Are you using it as an adjective or in a directional manner?
Backward is both an adjective and a directional adverb. As the directional adverb, many American English dictionaries list -wards as a spelling variant of the directional suffix -ward.
As the adverb, most style manuals require that writers use backward.
Backwards is strictly a directional adverb used in Britain.
Exploring Later . . .
You may want to explore “Foreword versus Forward“.
Word Confusions . . .
. . . started as my way of dealing with a professional frustration with properly spelled words that were out of context in manuscripts I was editing as well as books I was reviewing. It evolved into a sharing of information with y’all. I’m hoping you’ll share with us words that have been a bête noire for you from either end.
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| Backward | Backwards |
|---|---|
Backward Text is under the CC0 license, via Pixnio. |
Man Standing and Bending Backwards by Andy Coffie is under the Legal Simplicity license, via Pexels. |
| Part of Grammar: | |
| Adjective; Adverb of Direction
Mainly US |
Adverb
Mainly British |
| Adjective: Directed behind or to the rear
Having made less than normal progress
Bashful or hesitant
Directional Adverb:
Toward or into the past
|
Directional Adverb: Towards the direction that is opposite to the one in which you are facing or opposite to the usual direction [Of a movement] Away from one’s front
Toward or into the past
|
| Examples: | |
| Adjective: She left the room without a backward glance. It was a gradual backward movement. He said the decision was a backward step. There are too many economically backward countries. He’s quite backward. He was a backward suitor. Directional Adverb: Harry suddenly fell backward into a somersault. She was counting backward. All their baseball caps were turned backward. It was a loving look backward at his early life. It was a giant step backward for child-centered education. The ladder fell backwards. The meeting was a disaster with everyone going backwards and forwards. Look, I’m bending over backwards trying to help you people. |
Directional Adverb: He’s socially backwards. I walked backwards towards the door. He took a step backwards to allow her to pass. He began counting backwards: “Ten, nine, Paul paced anxiously backwards and forwards. The dog growled and I took a step backwards. |
| Derivatives: | |
| Adjective: backward-compatible Adverb: backwardly Noun: backwardness |
Adjective: backwards-compatible |
| History of the Word: | |
| Middle English from earlier abackward, from aback. | |
C’mon, get it out of your system, bitch, whine, moan . . . which words are your pet peeves? Also, please note that I try to be as accurate as I can, but mistakes happen or I miss something. Email me if you find errors, so I can fix them . . . and we’ll all benefit!
Satisfy your curiosity about other Word Confusions on its homepage or more generally explore the index of self-editing posts. You may also want to explore Book Layout & Formatting Ideas, Formatting Tips, Grammar Explanations, Linguistics, Publishing Tips, the Properly Punctuated, Writing Ideas and Resources, and Working Your Website.
Resources for Backward versus Backwards
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Apple Dictionary.com
Cambridge Dictionary: backwards
“Backward or Backwards – What’s the Difference?” Writing Explained. n.d. Accessed 4 Oct 2023. <https://writingexplained.org/backward-or-backwards-difference>.
Pinterest Photo Credits
Seiōgyū Riding Backward on an Ox is a pen-and-ink drawing by Sekkan and is courtesy of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art under the CC0 1.0 license, via RawPixel.
