Sign In Get Started
Preposition before noun

Distance with prepositions

Distance commonly appears with to and from for measurement. Of distance is limited to longer expressions.

Quick answer

Should I use of distance or to distance?

Distance to is standard when measuring how far something is. Of distance appears in expressions like sense of distance. The verb distance has different patterns.

the distance to the airport
a strong sense of distance between them

Choose the pattern by meaning

These forms are not interchangeable. Choose the construction by meaning, not by which preposition appears most often.

1
distance to + place

Measuring how far something is

Use to for the destination or endpoint.

the distance to the station
2
distance from + place

Showing the starting point

From introduces the point of origin.

the distance from London to Paris
3
sense of distance

Using of in abstract expressions

Of appears after another noun before distance.

a growing sense of distance in the relationship

See the difference in context

The same subject can take different constructions because each sentence answers a different question.

Construction
Example
Meaning
of distance
There was a feeling of distance between them.
abstract relationship or separation
to distance
The distance to the beach is short.
standard measurement pattern
distance from
The distance from the office to home is ten kilometres.
starting point plus endpoint
distance yourself from
She tried to distance herself from the scandal.
verb pattern, not the noun

Common mistakes

Some combinations appear in real text but do not mean what learners often assume.

Using of distance for measurement

Measurements normally use to and from.

✕ the distance of the airport ✓ the distance to the airport

Confusing noun and verb patterns

Distance as a verb uses from.

✕ He distanced himself to the group. ✓ He distanced himself from the group

Leaving out from in full measurements

Use from and to together for clarity.

✕ the distance London to Rome ✓ the distance from London to Rome

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. What is the distance ___ the city centre?
2. There was a feeling ___ distance between them.
3. The distance ___ Madrid to Seville is about 530 km.

Check your sentence in context

Paste the complete sentence below. Linguix checks the preposition together with grammar, spelling, punctuation, and style.

Free to try · No signup required

Frequently asked questions

What preposition usually follows distance?

To and from are the most common for measurements.

When is of distance used?

Mostly in longer phrases such as sense of distance.

Is to distance ever a verb form?

Yes. Distance can also be a verb, but it usually takes from.

of, about, against, to or for racism? of, about, for, in or on friendship? of, about, for, on or to thing? of, about, for, to or with sex? of, about, on, to or for moon? "of access" or "with access"? "of accommodation" or "for accommodation"? "of accuracy" or "for accuracy"? "of action" or "in action"? "of actor", "with actor" or "by actor"? "of address" or "to address"? "of administration" or "in administration"?

Write with confidence in Linguix

Create a free account to check complete texts, apply suggestions, and save your documents.

Create a free account