Fair vs. Fare How to Choose the Right Word

The words fair and fare are homophones, meaning they sound alike but have different meanings. One can be used as a noun or an adjective, and the other can be used as a noun or a verb. How to Use Fair The noun fair (as in state fair) refers to an exhibition, exposition, or public event where there is often food and entertainment.  The adjective fair has a range of meanings, including just, unbiased, pleasing, clear, and clean. How to Use Fare The noun fare refers to food and drink or to a transportation fee (as in bus fare). The verb fare means to go, get along, or succeed (as in fare thee well). Examples As an adjective, fair is often used to describe someone or something that is impartial and just, such as a neutral authority like a judge: The judge was harsh but fair; she handed down a sentence that was appropriate for the crime.The rules of the game are fair—both teams have an equal chance of winning. Fair describes someone or something that is pleasing and attractive as well: The knight hoped to draw the attention of a fair maiden. The adjective is also used to describe something of a moderate condition or a moderately large amount: Though the house was old, it was still in fair shape.By the time he retired, he had saved a fair amount of money. As a noun, fair refers exclusively to gatherings, recreational or professional, where there are exhibitors or vendors: They bought kettle corn at the county fair. Fare is also a noun, though it refers either to the price of transportation or something offered for entertainment or consumption, especially food: The city has raised the bus fare to $3 per ride.They enjoyed fine Italian fare at the new restaurant. As a verb, fare means to perform in a certain way (it often works as a synonym for get on): Because of his knee injury, he did not fare well in the race. How to Remember the Difference There are a few tricks for keeping fair and fare straight. The first one is simple—if its an adjective, its fair. The adjective fair has a range of meanings, and you may need to use context clues to figure them out, but its always spelled fair. If the word is used as a verb, however, its always fare. Things get a little more complicated once we move beyond adjectives and verbs. Both fair and fare can be used as nouns. One way to remember the difference is with this sentence: We enjoyed excellent fare at the fair. The fare is the food itself; the fair is the gathering at which it is eaten. Sources Straus, Jane.  The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation: The Mysteries of Grammar and Punctuation Revealed. John Wiley Sons, 2006, p. xxxix.Strumpf, Michael, and Auriel Douglas.  The Grammar Bible. Owl (Henry Holt and Co.), 2004, p. 185.