"As Far As" Vs "As Much As" | Which One To Use

“As far as” and “as much as” may seem similar but they are in fact two distinct phrases in English that are not interchangeable. Nevertheless, English language learners often have difficulty understanding which one of these to use. Below, we will explain the difference between “as far as” and “as much as” and provide you with plenty of examples to help you understand which one to use.

“As Far As” Vs “As Much As”

“As far as” and “as much as” are two distinct phrases in English that are not interchangeable. “As far as” is often used to denote the extent or degree of something, such as distance or the limit of understanding, like in the sentence “As far as I can see, there’s no one around.”

On the other hand, “as much as” is used to compare quantities or degrees, or to introduce contrast or concession, such as “I enjoy reading as much as you do” or “As much as I like dessert, I must decline.” While both phrases may involve comparison, “as far as” pertains to distance or a point of understanding, and “as much as” relates to quantities or contrasting ideas.

As Far As

The phrase “as far as” is typically used to indicate the extent or degree of something, often in relation to distance. It can also be used as a conjunction meaning “to the point that.” Here are some example sentences using ‘as far as’.

“As far as the eye can see, the landscape is covered in snow.”
(Here, “as far as” means to the limits of one’s vision, describing an extensive snowy landscape.)

“You can follow this road as far as the next town before you need to turn.”
(Here, “as far as” refers to the distance to the next town, marking a point where a turn is required.)

“They traveled as far as the southern coast on their vacation.”
(Here, “as far as” refers to the extent of their travels, indicating that they reached the southern coast.)

“As far as I’m concerned, this project is complete.”
(Here, “as far as” means to the extent of my judgment or opinion, implying that, in the speaker’s view, the project is finished.)

“As far as we know, no one has attempted this before.”
|(Here, “as far as” means to the extent of our knowledge, indicating that, according to what is known, nobody has attempted this task.)

“As far as your responsibilities go, you’re only required to complete the report.”
(Here, “as far as” means regarding or considering, defining the scope of the person’s responsibilities, which in this case is limited to completing the report.)

As Much As

The phrase “as much as” is commonly used to indicate a comparison of quantities or degrees. Here are some examples:

“I love reading as much as you do.”
(Here, “as much as” is used to compare the quantities or degrees of love for reading between two people.)

“He worked as much as he could to support his family.”
(Here, “as much as” compares the quantity or degree of work that he could perform to support his family.)

“She doesn’t earn as much as her colleague.”
(Here, “as much as” is used to compare the earnings between her and her colleague.)

“As much as I enjoy playing sports, I need to focus on my studies.”
(Here, “as much as” introduces a contrast between the enjoyment of playing sports and the need to focus on studies.)

“As much as we wanted to go on vacation, we decided to save the money.”
(Here, “as much as” indicates a concession between the desire to go on vacation and the decision to save the money instead.)

“As much as they tried, they couldn’t fix the car.”
(Here, “as much as” contrasts the effort put into trying to fix the car with the inability to actually fix it.)