"More clear" vs "Clearer": when to use "more" instead of "-er"?

Question

Which one of these adjectives is correct? I can see that both of them are being used, I'm just not sure which one is grammatically correct.
Are there any general rules to follow as to the use of one against the use of the other?

delete · Accepted Answer

The basic rules of forming comparatives:
One-syllable words take "er":

clear -> clearer
sweet -> sweeter

Multisyllable words take "more":

incredible -> more incredible (not "incredibler")
horrible -> more horrible (not "horribler")

Two-syllable words ending in consonant + "y" take "ier":

happy -> happier
pretty -> prettier

Both "more clear" and "clearer" are acceptable:

Your answer is more clear than mine.
Your answer is clearer than mine.

Frequency of use: clearer than is twice as common as more clear than, although both are common.

RegDwigнt · Answer

Both are grammatically correct. ("More clearer", however, would be wrong.)

David · Answer

The question really ought to be whether to say "clearer" or "more clearly." That's the confusing one. I believe it is correct to say that "I see more clearly now that I've wiped my windshield", and incorrect to say "I see clearer now that I've wiped my windshield."

The problem is that comparative adverbs like "better" make you think that "clearer" is the correct comparative adverbial form. But you don't "see clear," you "see clearly."

O. P. · Answer

I was taught as far back as elementary to never use clearer because it is not proper English. It is not a word and therefore should not be used. "More clear" should be the correct term to show the advancing superlative of the word "clear."

Answered by O. P. on March 10, 2021

"More clear" vs "Clearer": when to use "more" instead of "-er"?

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