Afford

How to spell afford

6 letters · 2 syllables

How to pronounce afford

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does afford mean?

1. verbTo have enough money, time, or other resources to pay for or do something.
2. verbTo give, provide, or supply something, such as an opportunity or a view.

Afford in a sentence

• After the pay rise they could finally afford a larger flat.

• The hilltop hotel will afford guests a sweeping view of the valley.

• The family had to budget carefully to afford the school trip.

• The new role would afford her the chance to travel widely.

Where does afford come from?

Language of origin: Germanic

This is a native English word, not a Latin or French borrowing as its smooth modern shape might suggest. It descends from the Old English verb geforthian, meaning 'to put forth', 'to carry out', or 'to provide', which was built on the word forth, meaning 'forward' or 'onward'. The early sense was about furthering or accomplishing something, and only later did the meaning narrow toward having the means to do or pay for a thing. The spelling drifted over the centuries: the old geforthian lost its prefix, the 'th' hardened into a 'd', and the consonant doubled to give the familiar 'ff'. That doubled f is the chief spelling trap, since the word sounds as if it might start with a single f. A useful memory hook is that afford shares its ancient forth root with the idea of bringing resources forward to meet a need.

How the word is built

• a- (from Old English ge-, intensive prefix)
• ford (from forth: forward, onward)