This article was co-authored by Tristen Bonacci
. Tristen Bonacci is a Licensed English Teacher with more than 20 years of experience. Tristen has taught in both the United States and overseas. She specializes in teaching in a secondary education environment and sharing wisdom with others, no matter the environment. Tristen holds a BA in English Literature from The University of Colorado and an MEd from The University of Phoenix.
This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources.
This article has been viewed 47,623 times.
You’ve probably heard people say both “clearer” and “more clear”, but which is grammatically correct? When you hear both expressions so often, it can be hard to tell which to use if you don’t know the specific grammar rules. [1] X Research source In this article, we'll teach you everything you need to know so you’re ready the next time you’re debating between using “clearer” and “more clear”!
Steps
Is it “clearer” or “more clear”?
-
Both “clearer” and “more clear” are perfectly acceptable. Although English grammar rules do say that “clearer” is the grammatically correct version, both expressions are frequently used in everyday conversations. [2] X Research source “Clearer” is used about twice as frequently as “more clear”, but both phrases will be easily understood. [3] X Research source As you’ll see in the sentences below, either flows nicely:
- “You cleaned the window? It looks clearer now!” vs “You cleaned the window? It’s more clear now!”
- “He explained the math problem really well. The steps are clearer to me now!” vs “He explained the math problem really well. The steps are more clear to me now!”
What are comparative adjectives?
-
Comparative adjectives are used to compare two objects. [4] X Research source Clearer would be the comparative form of the word “clear”. Generally, if an adjective has only one syllable, it can be transformed into a comparative adjective by simply adding -er to the end. However, if an adjective has multiple syllables, you’ll have to add the word “more” before the adjective to make it comparative. Since clear has only one syllable, this is why “clearer” is more grammatically correct between “clearer” and “more clear”.
- The word “tall” has one syllable, so you would add -er to the end to make it a comparative adjective, like “Tim is taller than Jane.”
- The word “beautiful” has multiple syllables, so you would add “more” to the beginning of it to make it a comparative adjective, like “My house is more beautiful than yours.”
Common Mistakes
-
1“More clearer” is incorrect. Since clearer is already the comparative form of “clear”, and “more” is also used to make comparisons, using the two together would be repetitive and grammatically incorrect. [5] X Research source
- Incorrect: “Thanks for cleaning my glasses! They’re more clearer now.”
- Correct: "Thanks for cleaning my glasses! They're more clear now" or "Thanks for cleaning my glasses! They're clearer now." [6] X Research source
-
2“More clear” is not more formal than “clearer”. It’s a common misconception that “more clear” is a formal version of “clearer”, but because English grammar rules say “clearer” is the correct comparative form, “more clear” would actually be considered conversational and less formal. This is because “more clear” breaks English grammar rules, but is understood and accepted so well due to its frequency of use in everyday speech. [7] X Research source
Expert Q&A
Tips
You Might Also Like
References
- ↑ https://www.grammar.com/clearer_vs._more_clear
- ↑ https://dictionarykiwi.com/2016/10/17/more-clear-vs-clearer-when-to-use-more-instead-of-er/
- ↑ https://preply.com/en/question/more-clear-or-clearer
- ↑ https://www.ef.edu/english-resources/english-grammar/comparative-and-superlative/
- ↑ https://www.grammar.com/clearer_vs._more_clear
- ↑ https://www.grammar.com/clearer_vs._more_clear
- ↑ https://www.grammar.com/clearer_vs._more_clear