more clear
Is clearer a real word?
Frequency of use: clearer than is twice as common as more clear than, although both are common. Both are grammatically correct. (“More clearer”, however, would be wrong.) The question really ought to be whether to say “clearer” or “more clearly.” That’s the confusing one.
Is clearer an adverb?
clear used as an adverb: All the way; entirely. “I threw it clear across the river to the other side.” Not near something or touching it. “Stand clear of the rails, a train is coming.”
What kind of adverb is clearly?
Clearly is a common adverb that means happening in a way that is not blurred or that doesn’t leave room for doubt.
What kind of word is freely?
freely adverb (WITHOUT LIMITS)
How do you spell freest?
The simple rule is: If you think there should be three e’s in a row, write only two. For example, “most free” would be “freest”, not “freeest”. Note, however, that “freest” is pronounced as if it were written as “freeest”, i.e. /friːɪst/.
Is it more free or freer?
“Free” sometimes has comparative and superlative “Freer” and “Freest”, but forms with “more/most” are more common. So, both are correct, though “more free” is much more common than “freer”.
What is the superlative of free?
The superlative form of free; most free. Most free.
Is freer a word in Scrabble?
Yes, freer is in the scrabble dictionary.
Can you say freer?
As far as the “rules” are concerned, the correct form should be “freer.” Yet, as you might have already guessed, this isn’t necessarily the case. Today, not only is “more free” used by plenty of individuals, but it has also become the more common usage out of the two.
What is the comparative degree of kind?
1) by addition of ‘-er’ and ‘-est’ to the positive degree
| POSITIVE | COMPARATIVE | SUPERLATIVE |
|---|---|---|
| fast | faster | fastest |
| great | greater | greatest |
| high | higher | highest |
| kind | kinder | kindest |
Is most kind correct?
“Most kind” might work, because ‘most’ has ONE meaning of ‘very. ‘ You are most kind. It sounds more like BE. It also has the meaning of the greatest amount, greatest extent, etc.
What is the comparison of bad?
3. Irregular adjectives
| positive | comparative | superlative |
|---|---|---|
| bad | worse | worst |
| much | more | most |
| many | more | most |
| little | less | least |
What is the difference between clearer and more clear?
The adjective clear describes something as transparent, easy to understand, or uncluttered. But if something is “especially clear” when compared to another, should we use “clearer” or “more clear”?
Is clearer even a word?
Native speakers are always surprised to learn how “clearer” is, in fact, a real word. To start, English uses clearer as a comparative adjective of “clear” to mean “more clear.” However, we also use “clearer” as a noun to describe someone who ‘declutters’ or ‘clears’ an area.
But while we use “clearer” to mean ‘more clear,’ that doesn’t mean we should write “more clear” in a formal sentence. Why? Because “clearer” is already the established comparative form. As explained by Garner’s Modern English Usage:
“…if a word ordinarily takes either the -er or the -est suffix–– and that formation sounds more natural–– it’s poor style to use the two-word form with more or most.” (Garner 187)
What are comparative adjectives?
Comparative adjectives exist to compare two or more objects they modify in a sentence, where one noun is ‘more so’ than the other. For example,
“The dog is small, but the cat is smaller.”
For the sentence above, we compare the size of a dog and cat (two nouns) using the adjective “small.” But since the cat is ‘more small’ than the dog, you would use the comparative “smaller” instead.
As you might have noticed, comparative adjectives typically end adjectives with the suffix -er or -ier such as bigger, cleaner, nicer, or prettier. But when adjectives end with the suffix -est, that means they are in their superlative form.
Similarly to a comparative adjective, a superlative compares one noun against all other nouns as ‘the most’ or the ‘highest form’ of that adjective. For example,
“Linda is the prettiest girl in school.”
For this sentence, we are comparing Linda (a noun) to other girls (nouns) at school. The sentence implies how all of the girls at school are pretty, but since Linda is the “prettiest,” she is the ‘most pretty’ of them all.
What is the comparative and superlative of clear?
Circling back to our original adjective, clear, we write the comparative and superlative forms as such:
- Adjective: Clear
- Comparative: Clearer
- Superlative: Clearest
When to use more or most?
There are circumstances when we need to use determiners like ‘more’ or ‘most,’ and that’s when an adjective contains three (sometimes two) or more syllables. For example,
- More honest (two syllables)
- More beautiful (three syllables)
- More pretentious (three syllables)
- More quantifiable (five syllables)
Some adjectives also provide the option of using a comparative and superlative form in addition to “more” or “most” (187). For example:
- Common (adj.): commoner, commonest, or more/most common.
- Naive (adj.): Naiver, naivest, or more/most naive.
What is the meaning of clearer?
The word clearer is the comparative form of the adjective “clear.” Additional word forms of “clear” include “clearest” (superlative), “clearly” (adverb), and “clearable” (adjective).
Based on The New Oxford English Dictionary’s definition of clear, we can rephrase the meaning of clearer as:
1. More perceivable, understandable, or interpretable in a way that is more obvious, less unambiguous, and with absolutely no doubt or confusion. For example,
- “She spoke clearer after completing her speech therapy class.”
- “After we have a clearer idea of what to expect, we will let you know.”
- “Your revised essay is much clearer than the first and second drafts.”
- “Our last professor was clearer about classroom expectations than our current one.”
2. More physically transparent. For example,
- “The window is clearer after you clean it.”
- “Mother’s diamond ring is clearer than grandma’s.”
- “The new microscope lens allows us to see organisms closer and clearer than ever.”
3. More free of clouds, mist, rain, or haze. For example,
- “The sky should be clearer today than it was yesterday.”
- “The South Pacific is clearer than the Pacific Northwest.”
- “You can see clearer 20 ft up the mountain.”
4. Less blemished skin. For example,
- “My face is clearer because I stopped consuming sugar.”
- “Their skin is clearer than mine.”
5. Freer of any obstructions or unwanted objects, feelings, or conditions. For example,
- “The garage is clearer now that I’ve donated our storage.”
- “My conscience is clearer because I admitted my wrongdoings.”
- “Her blood tests are clearer now, but there are still trace amounts of white blood cells.”
Synonyms of clear
Apparent, bright, certain, conclusive, clear-cut, crystal, crystalline, decisive, distinct, evident, fair, faultless, free, implicit, luminous, obvious, open, plain, see-through, straightforward, sure, transparent, unambiguous, unambivalent, unmistakable.
Antonyms of clear
Ambiguous, blocked, clogged, clouded, cryptic, dark, doubtful, dubious, equivocal, guilty, hesitant, inconclusive, indecisive, indistinct, mysterious, nonobvious, obscure, stormy, stuffed, unapparent, uncertain, unclarified, unclear, wavering.
Etymology of clear
According to The American Heritage Dictionary, the word clear comes from Middle English cler via Old French. However, the original source stems from Latin clārus, where it meant ‘clear’ or ‘bright.’
General rules for using clear, clearer, and clearest in a sentence
#1. Stay clear of “more clear” or “most clear”
Use comparative “clearer” or superlative “clearest” instead of “more clear” or “most clear.”
Correct:
- “The weatherman said to expect clearer skies tomorrow.”
- “My English teacher said I’m the clearest writer in class.”
Incorrect:
- “Grammarly makes my writing more clear by providing alternate word choices.”
- “Google Ngrams is the most clearest software for linguistic timelines.”
#2. Less is more with “unclear” and “less clear”
Avoid using “less” or “least” with “clearer” or “clearest.” Use “unclear,” “less clear,” or “least clear” instead.
Correct:
- “It is less clear if The United States invented hamburgers or not.”
- “My English teacher’s exam was the least clear of all my finals.”
Incorrect:
- “His handwriting was less clearer to read than yours.”
- “My essay on traditional U.S. cuisines was the least clearest of all.”
Additional reading: clearer or more clear?
If you’ve made it this far, you clearly have an interest in English grammar. The Word Counter posts new lessons every week for topics, such as:
- Farther vs. further?
- Upmost vs. Utmost?
- Worst vs. worse?
- Flier or flyer?
Test Yourself!
How clear is your understanding of “clear vs. more clear”? Test your grammar-know-how with the following multiple-choice test.
- True or false: American English uses “more clear” while British English prefers “clearer.”
a. True
b. False - The structural difference between “clear,” “clearer,” and “clearest” involves ___________.
a. Apostrophes
b. Suffixes
c. Hyphens
d. Prefixes - One-syllable adjectives end with ___________ for the comparative degree.
a. -ier
b. -er
c. -est
d. A or B - Superlative adjectives consist of ___________.
a. One-syllable words
b. Two-syllable words
c. Three-syllable words
d. Two-to-three syllable words or more - The adverbial form of “clear” is ___________.
a. Clearest
b. Clearer
c. Clearly
d. Clearable - Which of the following is an incorrect comparative adjective?
a. Cleverer
b. Horribler
c. Incredibler
d. Funniest
Answers
- B
- B
- D
- D
- C
- C
Sources
- “Clear.” The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th ed., Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company, 2020.
- “Clear.” Lexico, Oxford University Press, 2020.
- “Clear.” The New Oxford American Dictionary, 3rd ed., Oxford University Press, 2010, p. 322.
- Garner, B. “Comparatives and superlatives.” Garner’s Modern American Usage, 3rd ed., Oxford University Press, 2009, p. 187.
- “The comparative and the superlative.” Resources for Learning English, EF Education First, 2020.
Continue Learning about General Science
Why do opaque objects make clearer shadows?
they form clearer objects
What are the uses of filter flask?
A filter flask makes water clearer Eleanor xxx
What type of lens is used to make objects appear smaller and clearer?
Concave lenses 
What is the function of a spectacles?
it converges light into a specific point of our eye so that we
can see the object clearer.
How do you make a smaller and clearer shadow when you can not move the object?
Move the light source farther away from the object.
What is another word for clearer?
Clearer Synonyms – WordHippo Thesaurus….What is another word for clearer?
| plainer | directer |
|---|---|
| more obvious | more evident |
| more unambivalent | more perspicuous |
| more pellucid | more transpicuous |
| more cogent | more clear-cut |
What’s another word for perfectly clear?
In this page you can discover 28 synonyms, antonyms, idiomatic expressions, and related words for crystal clear, like: crystalline, luculent, lucid, transparent, apparent, manifest, clear-cut, clear, distinct, evident and observable.
What is clearer than crystal clear?
What are some synonyms for crystal-clear? clear as crystal. transparent. translucent. unambiguous.
Which word is similar to quality?
Synonyms of ‘quality’
- excellence, caliber, distinction, grade, merit, position, rank, standing, status.
- characteristic, aspect, attribute, condition, feature, mark, property, trait.
- nature, character, kind, make, sort.
What are the names of quality?
quality
- aspect.
- character.
- condition.
- element.
- kind.
- nature.
- trait.
- sort.
What’s another word for exceptional?
What is another word for exceptional?
| extraordinary | rare |
|---|---|
| anomalous | peculiar |
| strange | unprecedented |
| aberrant | unique |
| inconsistent | deviant |
What does the idiom clear as a bell mean?
Pure as the sound of a bell; also, readily understood. For example, Did you understand the message I left you? —Yes, clear as a bell. This simile, which alludes to the bell’s clarity owing to lack of overtones, was already a proverb in John Ray’s English Proverbs (1670).
What type of figurative language is crystal clear?
List of AS…AS Similes
| simile | meaning |
|---|---|
| as clean as a whistle | very clean |
| as clear as crystal | very clear |
| as clear as mud | not at all clear |
| as cold as ice | very cold |
What type of figurative language is this?
Types of Figurative Language
- Simile. A simile is a figure of speech that compares two unlike things and uses the words “like” or “as” and they are commonly used in everyday communication.
- Metaphor. A metaphor is a statement that compares two things that are not alike.
- Hyperbole.
- Personification.
- Synecdoche.
- Onomatopoeia.
Is hype a real word?
hype Add to list Share. As a noun, hype means extravagant claims about a person or product.
What is hype short for?
| HYPE | Helping Young People Excel Miscellaneous » Unclassified |
|---|---|
| HYPE | Helping Youth Prepare for Employment Governmental » Employment — and more… |
| HYPE | Helping Youth Prepare for Excellence Community » Youth |
| HYPE | Helping Youth Proclaim Emmanuel Community » Youth |
| HYPE | Helping Youth Progress and Excel Community » Youth |
What is the word hype short for?
The verb hype, in the sense of aggressively marketing a product with exaggerated enthusiasm, appears to derive from a U.S. slang term of unknown origin meaning “To short-change, to cheat; to deceive, to con, esp. by false publicity.” Hyperbole is a rhetorical term that uses an exaggerated or extravagant statement.
What is to hype someone?
phrasal verb. To hype someone up means to deliberately make them very excited about something. Everyone at school used to hype each other up about men all the time. [
Is hype a negative word?
“Hype” means really strong positive reviews or positive opinions about something. But “hype” itself is a negative word. So when you call positive reviews or opinions “hype”, it means that you don’t believe them.
Table of Contents
- What is another word for clearer?
- What’s another word for perfectly clear?
- What is clearer than crystal clear?
- Which word is similar to quality?
- What are the names of quality?
- What’s another word for exceptional?
- What does the idiom clear as a bell mean?
- What type of figurative language is crystal clear?
- What type of figurative language is this?
- Is hype a real word?
- What is hype short for?
- What is the word hype short for?
- What is to hype someone?
- Is hype a negative word?
Clearer Synonyms – WordHippo Thesaurus….What is another word for clearer?
| plainer | directer |
|---|---|
| more obvious | more evident |
| more unambivalent | more perspicuous |
| more pellucid | more transpicuous |
| more cogent | more clear-cut |
What’s another word for perfectly clear?
In this page you can discover 28 synonyms, antonyms, idiomatic expressions, and related words for crystal clear, like: crystalline, luculent, lucid, transparent, apparent, manifest, clear-cut, clear, distinct, evident and observable.
What is clearer than crystal clear?
What are some synonyms for crystal-clear? clear as crystal. transparent. translucent. unambiguous.
Which word is similar to quality?
Synonyms of ‘quality’
- excellence, caliber, distinction, grade, merit, position, rank, standing, status.
- characteristic, aspect, attribute, condition, feature, mark, property, trait.
- nature, character, kind, make, sort.
What are the names of quality?
quality
- aspect.
- character.
- condition.
- element.
- kind.
- nature.
- trait.
- sort.
What’s another word for exceptional?
What is another word for exceptional?
| extraordinary | rare |
|---|---|
| anomalous | peculiar |
| strange | unprecedented |
| aberrant | unique |
| inconsistent | deviant |
What does the idiom clear as a bell mean?
Pure as the sound of a bell; also, readily understood. For example, Did you understand the message I left you? —Yes, clear as a bell. This simile, which alludes to the bell’s clarity owing to lack of overtones, was already a proverb in John Ray’s English Proverbs (1670).
What type of figurative language is crystal clear?
List of AS…AS Similes
| simile | meaning |
|---|---|
| as clean as a whistle | very clean |
| as clear as crystal | very clear |
| as clear as mud | not at all clear |
| as cold as ice | very cold |
What type of figurative language is this?
Types of Figurative Language
- Simile. A simile is a figure of speech that compares two unlike things and uses the words “like” or “as” and they are commonly used in everyday communication.
- Metaphor. A metaphor is a statement that compares two things that are not alike.
- Hyperbole.
- Personification.
- Synecdoche.
- Onomatopoeia.
Is hype a real word?
hype Add to list Share. As a noun, hype means extravagant claims about a person or product.
What is hype short for?
| HYPE | Helping Young People Excel Miscellaneous » Unclassified |
|---|---|
| HYPE | Helping Youth Prepare for Employment Governmental » Employment — and more… |
| HYPE | Helping Youth Prepare for Excellence Community » Youth |
| HYPE | Helping Youth Proclaim Emmanuel Community » Youth |
| HYPE | Helping Youth Progress and Excel Community » Youth |
What is the word hype short for?
The verb hype, in the sense of aggressively marketing a product with exaggerated enthusiasm, appears to derive from a U.S. slang term of unknown origin meaning “To short-change, to cheat; to deceive, to con, esp. by false publicity.” Hyperbole is a rhetorical term that uses an exaggerated or extravagant statement.
What is to hype someone?
phrasal verb. To hype someone up means to deliberately make them very excited about something. Everyone at school used to hype each other up about men all the time. [
Is hype a negative word?
“Hype” means really strong positive reviews or positive opinions about something. But “hype” itself is a negative word. So when you call positive reviews or opinions “hype”, it means that you don’t believe them.
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?
JEL
32.3k4 gold badges64 silver badges106 bronze badges
asked Aug 30, 2010 at 1:11
1
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.
answered Aug 30, 2010 at 2:19
13
Both are grammatically correct. («More clearer», however, would be wrong.)
answered Aug 30, 2010 at 1:35
RegDwigнtRegDwigнt
96.4k39 gold badges305 silver badges399 bronze badges
1
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.»
answered Mar 7, 2012 at 20:58
DavidDavid
491 silver badge1 bronze badge
5
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 Mar 27, 2012 at 17:48
3
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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. 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”!
-
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.[1]
“Clearer” is used about twice as frequently as “more clear”, but both phrases will be easily understood.[2]
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!”
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-
Comparative adjectives are used to compare two objects.[3]
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.”
-
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.[4]
- 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.»
-
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.[5]
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Recent Examples on the Web
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See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word ‘clearer.’ Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
- The sky is clearer today than yesterday because it rained.
- Thanks to your notes, I am clearer with the concepts now than I was before.
- Rain water is clearer than the tap water that you brought.
There are some words that aren’t satisfied just by adding -er to make comparatives. They want something ‘more’. These are the words with multisyllables. For example, more beautiful, more horrible, more careful etc…
Even though clear has only one syllable, the word ‘more clear’ is in usage for a long time now, and though we don’t know how it came into existence, as of today, it is perfectly valid. You can always replace clearer in all the above examples with more clear.
- The sky is more clear today than it was yesterday because of the rains.
- Thanks to your notes, I am more clear with the concepts now than I was before.
- Rain water is more clear than the tap water that you brought.
- To be more clear, I would like to present a case on this topic to the audience today.
- We would want to be more clear with the terms and conditions before signing the contract.
More clearly
Clearly, because of the -ly, becomes an adverb. Adding more before clearly, can be correct in some contexts, but not all. Example –
Open the windows so that I can see clearly. Open the windows so that I can see more clearly.
Here, both the sentences are correct.
I want to make my purpose more clear. I want to make my purpose more clearly.
See the difference in both sentences. The second sentence is grammatically incorrect. If we replace the word make with “express”, the second sentence would be correct while the first one will become incorrect.
I want to express my purpose more clear. I want to express my purpose more clearly.
Similarly – how to talk more clearly in front of others? And not – how to talk more clear in front of others?
More clearer
Clearer is already a comparative form, more is also used for comparative. It is meaningless to use two comparatives at the same time. Hence, it is incorrect to say “more clearer”.
Clearly, clearer is more clear in terms of the natural choice based on the syllable rule of grammar. However, we can use ‘more clear’ as well, especially for formal tones or talks, which is perfectly fine!
