Fare vs Fair: Understanding the Difference

"Fare" and "fair" are homophones (words that sound the same) but have completely different meanings and uses. This comprehensive guide will help you understand when to use each word correctly.

Quick Answer

• Fare = transportation cost, food, or how someone is doing (noun/verb)
• Fair = just/unbiased, light-colored, reasonable, or an event (adjective/noun)

Fare: Definitions and Usage

Fare can be used as both a noun and a verb, with different meanings.

Fare as a Noun:

Definition 1: Transportation Cost

The price paid for a journey on public transportation (bus, train, taxi, plane, etc.)

Examples:

• The bus fare is $2.50.
• Taxi fares have increased this year.
• What's the fare to the airport?
• She paid the fare and got on the train.
• Airline fares vary by season.
• The subway fare went up last month.

Definition 2: Food/Meals

The type of food served, especially at a restaurant

Examples:

• The restaurant serves Italian fare.
• The buffet offers simple fare.
• Traditional holiday fare includes turkey.
• The café has excellent vegetarian fare.
• We enjoyed the local fare during our travels.
• Street fare can be delicious and affordable.

Fare as a Verb:

Definition: To Get Along or Manage

To perform or progress in a particular situation

Examples:

• How did you fare on the exam?
• The team fared poorly in the competition.
• She fared well in her new job.
• How will they fare in this economy?
• The crops fared badly during the drought.
• He fared better than expected.

Fare Verb Forms:

• Present: fare/fares
• Past: fared
• Present participle: faring
• Past participle: fared

Fair: Definitions and Usage

Fair can be used as an adjective, noun, or adverb.

Fair as an Adjective:

Definition 1: Just, Unbiased, Equitable

Treating people equally without favoritism or discrimination

Examples:

• That's not fair!
• The judge gave a fair verdict.
• Everyone deserves a fair chance.
• It's only fair to share equally.
• They reached a fair compromise.
• The teacher is always fair with students.

Definition 2: Light in Color

Having a pale or light complexion or color

Examples:

• She has fair skin.
• His fair hair turned darker with age.
• Fair-skinned people burn easily in the sun.
• The painting depicts a fair-haired child.
• Fair complexions need more sun protection.

Definition 3: Moderately Good, Acceptable

Reasonably good but not excellent

Examples:

• She gave a fair performance.
• The weather is fair today.
• He has a fair understanding of the topic.
• The quality is fair for the price.
• They have a fair chance of winning.
• The restaurant received fair reviews.

Definition 4: Weather - Clear and Pleasant

Fine weather without rain or storms

Examples:

• The forecast shows fair weather ahead.
• Fair skies are expected tomorrow.
• We had fair conditions for sailing.

Fair as a Noun:

Definition: An Event or Festival

A gathering featuring entertainment, exhibitions, or trade

Examples:

• We went to the county fair.
• The book fair is next week.
• They're having a craft fair downtown.
• The state fair has great rides.
• Career fairs help students find jobs.
• The science fair showcases student projects.

Fair as an Adverb:

Definition: In a Just or Legal Manner

Used mainly in the phrase "play fair"

Examples:

• Play fair and follow the rules.
• They won the game fair and square.
• Fight fair - no hitting below the belt.

Key Differences

Fare	Fair
Transportation cost	Just, unbiased
Food served	Light-colored
How someone is doing	Moderately good
"How did you fare?"	"That's not fair!"
Noun or verb	Adjective, noun, or adverb
Bus fare, train fare	Fair treatment, fair skin
Restaurant fare	County fair, book fair

Memory Tricks

1. The "AIR" Connection

• FAIR contains AIR - think of fresh air at a fair (event)
• FAIR means something is AIRy and light (fair skin, fair weather)
• FAIR treatment gives everyone equal AIR to breathe

2. The "ARE" in Fare

• FARE contains ARE - "How ARE you?" relates to "How did you FARE?"
• FARE = Amount Required Exchange (for transportation)

3. Context Clues

• If it's about money or cost → FARE
• If it's about food → FARE
• If it's about justice or equality → FAIR
• If it's an event → FAIR (like state fair)

4. The "Play Fair" Test

• You can "play FAIR" (justly)
• You cannot "play FARE" (doesn't make sense)

5. Double Meaning Helper

• FARE = Food And Ride Expense
• FAIR = Festival, Appearance (complexion), Impartial, Reasonable

Common Mistakes and Corrections

Incorrect Usage:

1. The bus fair is too expensive. (Wrong!)
2. That's not fare! (Wrong!)
3. How did you fair on the test? (Wrong!)
4. She paid the taxi fair. (Wrong!)
5. We went to the county fare. (Wrong!)
6. Everyone deserves fare treatment. (Wrong!)
7. The restaurant serves excellent fair. (Wrong!)
8. He has fare skin. (Wrong!)

Correct Usage:

1. The bus fare is too expensive.
2. That's not fair!
3. How did you fare on the test?
4. She paid the taxi fare.
5. We went to the county fair.
6. Everyone deserves fair treatment.
7. The restaurant serves excellent fare.
8. He has fair skin.

More Examples in Context

Fare (Transportation Cost):

• Travel: The round-trip fare is $200.
• Public Transit: You can buy a monthly fare card.
• Taxi: The fare came to $35 including tip.
• Airline: Economy fares are discounted this week.
• Comparison: Train fares are cheaper than plane tickets.
• Payment: She didn't have enough for the fare.

Fare (Food):

• Restaurant: The bistro specializes in French fare.
• Quality: The hotel restaurant serves mediocre fare.
• Traditional: Thanksgiving fare brings families together.
• Type: The pub offers hearty fare and cold beer.
• Description: Simple fare sometimes tastes the best.
• Seasonal: Summer fare includes fresh salads.

Fare (Verb - How One Does):

• Performance: She fared well in the interview.
• Competition: How will we fare against the champions?
• Situation: The business fared poorly during recession.
• Success: They fared better than last year.
• Outcome: I hope you fare well in your new position.
• Progress: The patient is faring better today.

Fair (Just/Unbiased):

• Justice: The trial was fair and thorough.
• Treatment: All employees receive fair wages.
• Decision: The referee made a fair call.
• Equality: It's fair to take turns.
• Opportunity: Everyone gets a fair shot.
• Assessment: She gave a fair evaluation.

Fair (Light-Colored):

• Complexion: Her fair skin requires SPF 50.
• Hair: The child has fair hair and blue eyes.
• Appearance: Fair-skinned people often have freckles.
• Description: He was tall with fair features.

Fair (Event):

• Community: The town fair is held every July.
• Education: The college fair had 50 universities.
• Business: Trade fairs attract international buyers.
• Entertainment: The fair has a Ferris wheel.
• Shopping: Craft fairs feature handmade goods.
• Career: Job fairs connect employers and candidates.

Fair (Moderately Good):

• Performance: He did a fair job on the project.
• Assessment: The movie got fair reviews.
• Weather: We had fair conditions for the picnic.
• Knowledge: She has a fair grasp of the subject.
• Quality: The product is of fair quality.

Related Words and Phrases

With "Fare":

• Airfare - cost of air travel
• Busfare - cost of bus travel
• Fare-paying - paying customers
• Fare increase - price rise for transportation
• Bill of fare - menu
• Farewell - goodbye (different origin)

Examples:

• Airfare to Europe can be expensive.
• Fare increases affect commuters.
• The bill of fare looked appetizing.

With "Fair":

• Fairness - quality of being just
• Fairly - in a just manner; moderately
• Unfair - not just or equitable
• Fair-minded - impartial
• Fair play - just behavior
• Fair-weather friend - friend only in good times
• Fair game - acceptable target

Examples:

• Fairness is important in business.
• She treats everyone fairly.
• That rule seems unfair.
• He's a fair-minded judge.
• They believe in fair play.

Common Phrases

With "Fare":

• Pay the fare
• Fare increase
• Taxi fare
• Bus fare
• Fare poorly/well
• Bill of fare (menu)
• Standard fare (typical offering)
• Fare forward
• Fare thee well (archaic)

With "Fair":

• That's not fair
• Fair and square
• Fair enough
• Fair play
• Fair weather
• Fair trade
• Fair game
• Fair to middling
• Fair share
• Fair warning
• County fair
• State fair
• Book fair
• Job fair
• Trade fair
• Fair-weather friend
• All's fair in love and war
• Fair shake (fair opportunity)

Practice Exercises

Choose the correct word (fare or fair) for each sentence:

1. The bus _____ went up by 50 cents.
2. It's not _____ that he got a bigger piece.
3. How did you _____ in the competition?
4. She has very _____ skin and blonde hair.
5. We're going to the state _____ this weekend.
6. The restaurant serves Mediterranean _____.
7. Everyone deserves a _____ chance.
8. The taxi _____ was $25.
9. The weather should be _____ tomorrow.
10. He gave a _____ performance, not great but acceptable.
11. The company didn't _____ well during the crisis.
12. They won _____ and square.

Answers:

1. fare, 2) fair, 3) fare, 4) fair, 5) fair, 6) fare, 7) fair, 8) fare, 9) fair, 10) fair, 11) fare, 12) fair

Using Both Words Together

Sometimes you might encounter both words in one context:

• The fare for the ride to the fair is $5.

  • (Transportation cost to the event)

• Despite the high fare, the airline serves fair food.

  • (Cost vs. acceptable quality)

• It's only fair to split the taxi fare equally.

  • (Just/equitable vs. transportation cost)

• How will we fare if the fair is cancelled?

  • (Manage vs. event)

Etymology

Fare:

• Comes from Old English "faran" meaning "to go, travel"
• Related to German "fahren" (to drive/travel)
• The transportation cost meaning comes from "travel"
• The food meaning comes from "how one fares" (is fed)

Fair:

• Comes from Old English "fæger" meaning "beautiful, pleasant"
• Related to the idea of something being pleasing and just
• The event meaning comes from Medieval Latin "feria" (holiday)
• Multiple meanings developed over time from the core idea of "pleasing"

Summary

FARE:

• Transportation cost: bus fare, taxi fare, airfare
• Food served: restaurant fare, Italian fare
• How one does: fare well, fare poorly
• Think: "How ARE you?" → "How did you FARE?"

FAIR:

• Just/unbiased: fair treatment, fair play
• Light-colored: fair skin, fair hair
• Moderately good: fair performance, fair weather
• Event: county fair, book fair, job fair
• Think: Fresh AIR at the FAIR

Quick Tests:

• About money or cost? → FARE
• About food? → FARE
• About justice or equality? → FAIR
• About an event/festival? → FAIR
• About complexion? → FAIR

Conclusion

The difference between "fare" and "fair" is straightforward once you remember their distinct meanings. Fare relates to transportation costs, food, or how someone manages a situation, while fair relates to justice, light coloring, moderate quality, or events/festivals.

A simple memory trick: FARE contains "ARE" (How are you? How did you fare?), while FAIR contains "AIR" (fresh air at the fair, or treating everyone with equal air to breathe). The phrase "That's not fair!" uses FAIR with an "I" for impartial justice. With these distinctions in mind, you'll never confuse these two words again!