-ward

See also: ward, Ward, and -wards

English

From Old English -weard, from Proto-Germanic *wardaz, earlier *warþaz (“turned toward, in the direction of, facing”) (compare -wards, from -weardes).

(unstressed)
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /wəd/
- (General American) IPA^(key): /wɚd/
(stressed, in the word "toward" only)
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /wɔːd/
- (General American) IPA^(key): /wɔɹd/

-ward

Forming adverbs denoting course or direction to, or motion or tendency toward, as in "backward", "toward", "forward", etc.
Forming adjectives, as in "a backward look", "the northward road", etc; used even by speakers who usually use -wards for adverbs.

The choice between -ward and -wards is individual or dialectal; both are widely used with adverbs, though -ward is heavily favoured for adjectives.
Adverbs ending in -wards (Anglo-Saxon -weardes) and some other adverbs, such as besides, betimes, since Old English sithens, etc., originated as genitive forms used adverbially.
The adjectives toward (initial stress) and forward have meanings not predictable from the meaning of -ward.
Awkward has retained the form but lost much of the sense in its use of this suffix.

forming adverbs

forming adjectives