Faraway vs. Far Away: The Simple Grammar Hack That Fixes 90% of Mistakes
“Faraway” is the single adjective; “far away” is the two-word adverbial phrase. Use the first before a noun, the second after a verb.
People blur them because both evoke distance, and spell-checkers rarely flag the space. Typing speed on WhatsApp or Twitter makes us mash words together, so “faraway” sneaks into places it doesn’t belong.
Key Differences
Faraway modifies nouns: “a faraway galaxy.” Far away tells us where the action happens: “The galaxy is far away.” One word, description; two words, location.
Which One Should You Choose?
If a noun follows immediately, pick “faraway.” If a verb or preposition leads, go “far away.” When in doubt, separate; you’ll rarely be wrong.
Examples and Daily Life
“Her faraway stare worried the CEO.” vs “She stared far away, past the window.” Swapping them changes rhythm and clarity in Slack messages, dating bios, or fantasy novels.
Can I ever write “faraway” after a verb?
No—verbs need the two-word form to show distance.
Is “far-away” with a hyphen ever correct?
Only as a compound adjective: “far-away lands.” Drop the hyphen when it stands alone.
Why doesn’t spell-check catch the error?
Both are real words; the checker can’t read context like a human editor.