backward and backyard differ by a single letter, buried far enough into the word to be easy to miss. backward means “directed or facing toward the back or rear”. backyard means “the grounds in back of a house”. backyard is the more common of the two in everyday English.
/ˈbækwɚd/
1.adj.directed or facing toward the back or rear
“a backward view”
2.adj.(used of temperament or behavior) marked by a retiring nature
“a backward lover”
3.adj.retarded in intellectual development
/ˈbæˌkjɑɹd/
1.n.the grounds in back of a house
| backward | backyard | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ˈbækwɚd/ | /ˈbæˌkjɑɹd/ |
| Said | BA-kwurd | BA-kyahrd |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Letters | 8 | 8 |
| Parts of speech | adjective, adverb | noun |
| Senses | 7 | 1 |
| How common | Familiar | Common |
| Synonyms | none recorded | none recorded |
Full entry for backward · Full entry for backyard · More comparisons