latter

later, latter

这两个字仅差一字之微，词义和使用场合却大相径庭，读音也不一样。
later: 是形容词late的比较形式，表示时间的先后，意为“较后的”、“较新的”，它能作形容词，也能作副词。

• is it later than eleven?
  现在已过了十一点吗？
• this dictionary is a later edition.
  这本字典的版本是比较新的。
• mr．liang came later than we had expected.
  梁先生来得比我们预期的要晚些。
• we'll come to see you again later.
  我们以后再来看你。

latter: 表示事物的先后，意为“后者“，只能作形容词，不能作副词。

• the latter half of his essay contains penetrating observations.
  他的论文后半部有精辟的看法。
• the former is a hong kong island street map and the latter is a kowloon street map.
  前者是一册香港街道图；后者是九龙街道图。

名词 latter:

1. the second of two or the second mentioned of two

形容词 latter:

1. referring to the second of two things or persons mentioned (or the last one or ones of several)

1. Many support the former alternative, but personally I favour the latter (one).
   很多人都赞成前一种办法，但我个人喜欢後一种。
2. One can travel there by ship or plane. Most people choose the latter.
   乘船或乘飞机去均可，人们多取後者。
3. Man differs from beasts in that the former is able to laugh, while the latter aren't.
   人不同于野兽，因前者能笑，而后者却不能。
4. The latter, as the name suggests, are used to record any changes in the tilt of the land.
   后者，顾名思义，是用来记录任何土地斜度的变化。
5. Jane and Mary are good friends; the former is a teacher, the latter is a nurse.
   珍和玛丽是好朋友，前者是老师，后者是护士。
6. In the latter years of his life he lived alone and never welcomed visitors.
   他晚年独居，从不欢迎来访者。
7. Of these two men, the former is dead but the latter is still alive.
   这两个人中，前者已死，而后者仍然活着。