You may have come across two comparative forms of the word “rare”, which are “rarer” and “more rare”, and doubted which is correct. This page explains the difference between the terms and shows them both in contextual examples.
Rarer or More Rare – What’s the Comparative Form of “Rare”?
The Oxford Dictionary lists “rarer” are the comparative form of “rare”, which matches the rule of adding “-er” to the end of short words. Furthermore, the superlative form is “rarest” rather than “most rare”, although the use of the latter is often to make the text sound less awkward.
Usually, in English, when the word is a short word like “fast”, “slow”, or “rare”, the comparative is formed by adding “-er” to the end of the word. However, there are words such as “strict” and “rare” for which both comparative forms are common.
The word “rare” is found in the Cambridge Dictionary, which states that it relates to something uncommon; however, it doesn’t contain a listing for the word “rarer.” The Oxford Dictionary states that “rarer” is the comparative form and does not contain a listing for “more rare.”
Rarest or Most Rare – What’s the Superlative Form of “Rare”?
According to the standard rules for comparatives and superlatives, a word such as “rare” is modified into a superlative by adding “-st” to the end of the term. Therefore the correct superlative form of “rare” is “rarest.”
However, the word “rare”, as with other terms such as “strict”, is a slight exception to this rule because people use both superlative forms frequently.
Here are some examples of how the two forms appear:
- The truffles were the rarest kind which is why they were so expensive.
- He gave her a ring with one of the most rare precious stones embedded.
It should also be mentioned that the term “most rare” has a slightly different meaning aside from the superlative. Sometimes the word “most” is added before “rare” not to signify that it is the “rarest” of all but rather to indicate that something is “extremely rare” or “strange” in some way.
For example:
- His behaviour last night was most rare and out of character.
- She has a most rare ability to make people feel at ease when she speaks.
What Are the Different Forms of “Rare”?
According to the Cambridge Dictionary, the word “rare” means something uncommon, unusual, or infrequent. Although “rarest” and “rarer” are the standard superlative and comparative, there are other ways of expressing both the superlative and comparative.
The two different forms of each are used frequently, although the default versions would be “rarest” and “rarer.”
Here are the different forms of the word “rare”:
Comparative:
- Rarer
- More/less rare
Superlative:
- Rarest
- Most/least rare
Is “Rarer” a Word?
The word “rarer” is the correct comparative form of the word “rare.” Sometimes people use “more/less rare” instead of “rarer”, but the default version of the comparative is “rarer.”
Sometimes people prefer to use “more rare” because the word “rarer” can sometimes sound stylistically awkward depending on which other words are around it.
Here are some examples of how “rarer” looks in a sentence:
- Since 1900 efforts have been made to mine rarer metals.
- This type of painting style is much rarer than his previous style.
- Teak is a far rarer type of wood than pine.
Is “Rarest” a Word?
The word “rarest” is the superlative form of “rare” and is commonly used in modern English. At times, some people prefer to use “most rare” instead of “rarest”, but the latter is the standard form of the superlative because “rare” is a short word.
Furthermore, electing to use “most rare” instead of “rarest” is often a stylistic decision based on which words appear before or after the formation of “rare.”
For example, if several other words begin with “r” before “rarer”, it can sound a little awkward, so people sometimes opt for “the most rare” in order to break up the sound of multiple instances of the letter “r.”
Here are some examples of how “rarest” appears in a sentence:
- The diamonds stolen in the robbery were among the rarest in the world.
- One of the rarest trees in the UK is the black poplar.
- The Botanical Gardens has a greenhouse that contains the rarest plant species worldwide.
Which Forms Are Used the Most?
The Google Ngram shows that out of the four terms, “rarer” and “rarest” are the most commonly used, which is not terribly surprising since they are the standard comparative and superlative forms.
However, the terms “more rare” and “most rare” have still appeared enough in literature over the last one hundred and twenty years that they would rarely be classed as “incorrect.”
Final Thoughts
The correct and standard comparative and superlative forms of “rare” are “rarer” and “rarest”, respectively. However, it is also pretty standard for people to use “more rare” and “most rare” to mean the same thing, although it is often done to make the text sound less awkward.
Martin holds a Master’s degree in Finance and International Business. He has six years of experience in professional communication with clients, executives, and colleagues. Furthermore, he has teaching experience from Aarhus University. Martin has been featured as an expert in communication and teaching on Forbes and Shopify. Read more about Martin here.
Nevertheless, this purely»descriptive» formulation of reservations is more rare than might be thought.
Pathological cases of hair loss are much more rare than androgenetic alopecia
and constitute less
than
10% of all cases of alopecia.
Патологические случаи потери волос являются гораздо более редкими, чем случаи андрогенной алопеции
и составляют менее 10% всех случаев облысения.
Although NGV accidents are extremely
rare-
far more rare than for cars running on propane
or other oil fuels they do happen sometimes.
Хотя и крайне
редко,
намного реже, чем с машинами на пропане или бензине,
инциденты c автомобилями на природном газе случаются.
Long gone are the
days when the availability of education was more rare than regularity, and the presence of higher education and even
more
so.
Давно прошли те времена, когда наличие образования было скорее редкостью, нежели закономерностью, а наличие высшего образования и подавно.
Although more rare than horizontal, one-and-a-half syndrome from damage to the paramedian
pontine reticular formation and the medial longitudinal fasciculus can be shown to affect vertical gaze.
Хотя реже, чем на горизонтальный, синдром полтора от повреждения парасрединных
мостовых ретикулярных образований и медиального продольного пучка, может влиять на вертикальный взгляд.
However, the flea bite chains themselves are more rare and short than those of bedbug bites.
Однако сами цепочки блошиных укусов более редки и коротки, чем такие же от укусов клопов.
Given that tanzanite is much more rare stone than a diamond, I would rather invest in tanzanites
than
in diamonds.
Учитывая то, что танзанит гораздо более редко встречающийся камень, чем бриллиант, я бы предпочел инвестициям в бриллианты инвестиции в танзанит.
Strahov Monastery with its famous library containing more than 200,000 rare volumes.
Страговский монастырь со знаменитой библиотекой, в которой хранится более 200 000 редких томов.
The warrants recovered one barrel of 17-year-old Eagle Rare worth more than $11,000.
Одна украденная бочка Eagle Rare семнадцатилетней выдержки имеет стоимость более$ 11 000.
More than 17000 rare and threatened species of wild animals and plants are included into the IUCN Red List.
В Красный список
Всемирного союза охраны природы включено более 17 000 видов редких и находящихся под угрозой исчезновения диких животных и дикорастущих растений.
A truly unique piece, even more so than rare this Yamaha which has been for sale on the site www. classic-motorbikes.
com.
Поистине уникальный кусок, тем более, чем редкие это Yamaha, которая была на продажу на сайте www. classic- motorbikes. com.
It houses more than 150 rare automobiles, all from the personal collection of Frank K. Spain,
who founded the channel WTVA.
Здесь хранится более 150 редких автомобилей, все из личной коллекции Фрэнк К. Испании,
которые основали канал WTVA.
His amazing Imperial topaz collection of more than a dozen rare pieces is not accessible to everyone.
Его прекрасная коллекция Императорских топазов, в которую входит свыше десятка редких экземпляров, также доступна далеко не каждому.
The action provided vital care to over 400 children with rare diseases in more than 30 regions of Russia.
В рамках акции помощь получили
более
400 детей с редкими заболеваниями из более чем 30 регионов России.
there have been reports of mild gastrointestinal complaints and nausea.
В редких случаях( менее чем у 1 пациента из 10000)
отмечались легкие жалобы на работу пищеварительного тракта и тошнота.
Support for UN neutrality- a rare phenomenon in more than half a century of the history of this international organization.
Поддержка нейтралитета ООН- редкое явление в более чем полувековой истории этой международной организации.
It provided a rare opportunity for more than 170 world leaders to reach consensus
on guiding principles to address daunting challenges in the new century.
Он предоставил редкую возможность более чем 170 мировым лидерам достичь консенсуса
по основным принципам решения огромных задач нового столетия.
A very large lizard, in rare cases reaching lengths of more than 2 m.
Очень крупные ящерицы, в редких случая достигающие длины более 2 м.
It’s rare that my hallucinations are more delusional than I am.
The federal agency research organizations Institute of World Literature named after AM Gorky, Russian Academy of Sciences(RAS Institute of World Literature)
posted more than 600 rare scientific books in free access.
Федеральное агентство научных организаций Институт мировой литературы имени А. М. Горького Российской академии наук( ИМЛИ РАН)
выложил более 600 редких научных книг в свободный доступ.
Next, there are cases- rare, yet more frequent than one would be disposed to expect-
which are the voluntary and conscious reincarnations of Adepts652 on their trial.
Затем следуют случаи- редкие, но все же более частые, чем можно было бы предположить-
добровольных и сознательных воплощений Адептов на испытании.
The federal agency research organizations Institute of World Literature named after AM Gorky, Russian Academy of Sciences(RAS Institute of World Literature) posted more than 600 rare scientific books in free access.
Горького Российской академии наук( ИМЛИ РАН) выложил более 600 редких научных книг в свободный доступ.
There’s a lot of debate surrounding the correct spelling of “rarer.” Some people spell it “more rare,” while others believe that “rarer” is the only correct option. But which is right? Read on to determine if your should be using rarer or more rare in your writing!
Many words in the English language are easily confused because they are spelled similarly or sound the same. Additionally, many words have multiple definitions or uses, making it easy to confuse them with other words. For example, the words “ladle” and “ladel” sound the same but have different meanings.
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In fact, both rarer and more rare represent the comparative form of the word rare! They have identical definitions and can be used interchangeably.
Takeaway: Rarer is the traditionally correct word. However, both words can be used correctly.
When To Use Rarer
You should use the word “rarer” when comparing two or more things and indicating that one is less common than the other.
For example
- “Rarer varieties of apples can be found in specialty stores.”
The word rarer is a descriptive adjective meaning not occurring often; unusual. However, it can also be used to describe cooking meat. Cooking a steak rare means that it is less cooked and redder in the center.
When To Use More Rare
More rare, is a less popular alternative way to use the word rare in the comparative form. Here are some examples about how to use adjectives like this:
- The more rare the book, the higher its value.
- In some parts of the world, snowfall is becoming more rare.
- The more rare the material, the more expensive it is.
- Some animals are becoming more rare due to overhunting.
- Public speaking is a more rare ability than it used to be.
Adding the word “more” to the word “rare” makes this a comparative statement. The item or thing that is “more rare” is uncommon compared the other item or thing.
Different Forms Of Rare
The different forms of rare are comparative and superlative.
- Comparative rare: more/less rare; rarer
- Superlative rare: most/least rare; rarest
A comparison is simply a comparison between two or more things. The words dryer & drier are very popular comparative adjectives!
- I am faster than you.
- I have less money than Tim.
Superlative is the highest degree of comparison between two or more things. However, knowing when to use the different superlative forms can be tricky. Here is the rule of thumb, words with three or more syllables normally use more or most instead of -er.
- I am the fastest person in the world.
- I have the least amount of money in my family.
Just like we saw in our post about what does stoked mean, we saw the importance of spelling. Spelling can completely change the meaning of a word!
Which Is More Popular?
According to Google’s Ngram data, the word “rarer” is the most popular of the two options. Although “rarer” has lost significant popularity, it is still used more frequently than “more rare“. Just like we saw in our analysis of greatly vs grately, the data is often shocking!
Considering both words are considered grammatically correct, you can use whichever sounds better in your context.
Common Synonyms
If you want to spice up your writing, considering using any of these words in place of “rare”.
- Scarce: occurring or found in only small quantities.
- Uncommon: not commonly encountered or experienced.
- Unusual: not usual, common, or ordinary.
- Unique: being the only one; unequaled or unparalleled.
- Infrequent: occurring at long intervals or only in a few places.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the superlative for rare?
Rarest is the superlative for rare. Only use this superlative form when trying to declare that something is the most rare.
Is most rare grammatically correct?
Yes. The phrase most rare is grammatically correct because it is an absolute superlative. That is, it is used to describe something that is the most rare of all things. For example, the most rare spider in the world is the golden orb-weaver spider. This phrase is used to add emphasis to a sentence.
Does Rare mean valuable?
Not necessarily. Rare does not mean valuable in all circumstances. Just because something is extremely rare, does not mean it holds value. For example, there could be a rare disease. That certainly is not valuable!
What is a word for rarer than rare?
Unique is the word for rarer than rare. If something is truly unique, then it is a one of one. For example, if there was only 1 type of Ferrari manufactured, it would be considered rare.
The Bottom Line
Now you know the difference between the words rarer or more rare! In this case, both phrases have the same definition and can be used interchangeably, like the words yup or yep. Use the superlative form to describe the most rare occasions. Use the comparative form to compare two or more things. And be sure to use the Grammarly or WordTune tools to check your work if you need help!
In the following usage, which is the correct form for the superlative of the adjective «rare»?
«the rarest on Earth» or «the most rare on Earth»?
Sven Yargs
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asked Oct 28, 2014 at 4:34
11
The terms most rare, rarest, more rare, and rarer have all been in use for centuries. Here is the Ngram chart for the years 1800–2005 (search result matches go back to the 1500s):
The chart suggests that rarest (red line) and rarer (yellow line) have been more popular (not popularer) forms than most rare (blue line) and more rare (green line) for at least 150 years. Nevertheless, given their consistent occurrence in published works over so many years, I wouldn’t argue that any of the four forms is wrong.
Perhaps one reason for the persistence of the more rare and most rare forms is that the contrary forms are less rare and least rare. Also, to the extent that comparatives of rare arise in contradistinction to comparatives of common, more rare and most rare may benefit from the relative popularity of more common (green line) and most common (blue line) as against commoner (yellow line) and commonest (red line):
Here, commoner is the least common of the four terms despite (or perhaps partly because of) the fact that it has an identical noun form.
answered Oct 28, 2014 at 21:31
Sven YargsSven Yargs
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1
There’s no such thing as «more proper» (not that it should’ve been *properer !) The «correct» superlative of rare is rarest as we know. Use it by default.
However, more/ most + (positive) also exist & have their uses even in cases where the word already has regular comparative & superlative.
Care needs to be taken so the most is not misunderstood to apply to the noun, though.
In the instant case, it is rarest, as the other form is neither needed nor approriate.
answered Oct 28, 2014 at 9:11
KrisKris
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If the word has one or two syllables, comparative form is formed by suffixing —er and superlative form is formed by suffixing —est. For words with three or more syllables, it’s usually more xyz or most xyz. When we ask ourselves the superlative of rare, rarest comes more naturally. But for most, its properer to use more proper and most proper.
I think there’s a reason why words with less syllables are suffixed with more/most to create their comparative or superlative form. E.g. when we say : «This chimp species is more rare than that.», we are actually adding another word «most» to convey the message. Using -er and -est shortens it.
EDIT
You can also look at the historical popularity of «rarest» and «most rare» through Google n-gram veiwer: link
answered Oct 28, 2014 at 12:03
1
Ah hah, I like this.
«I would still advise you to strongly prefer «rarest» and to only deviate when the word interferes with the poetry of the sentence.»
I am an analytical, logic, and math based thinker and yet I felt that most of these answers preferred to use logic over the real point of language. It is not only to communicate but to also engage and dare I say spark the neurons in the artful, creative portions of the brain. In fact the goal of communicating, and the goal of engaging are not contradictory goals. By engaging the reader the meaning of a piece of communication is conveyed even more accurately and precise communication is enhanced. As long as «most rare» is not confusing, and if the writer feels it adds poetry to the sentence then I think they do an injustice to the language, and to their creative soul, if they use «rarest» because a text book says it is the proper use.
In addition I would add that the usage over time is interesting but not informative in providing an answer to the original question. If so this becomes a self-fulfilling prophecies and drives us toward a more uniform but less interesting language. Save this sort of analysis for German, not the language of Shakespeare.
Those are my two cents, have a wonderful day.
answered Oct 27, 2017 at 12:59
1
Multiple people have mentioned the accurate, and pedantic, rule that single-syllable words use a suffix not «most». They are correct. Nevertheless, I find the «rule» annoying and unconvincing.
To me, the most powerful reason to use «rarest» rather than «most rare» is Rule 17 of The Elements of Style by Strunk and White: Omit needless words. I personally think of this rule with a phrase in the description of the rule: make every word tell.
Let us pretend that the Ngram data were reversed: I would still advise you to strongly prefer «rarest» and to only deviate when the word interferes with the poetry of the sentence.
Make every word tell.
answered Jan 14, 2015 at 11:46
hunterhoganhunterhogan
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На основании Вашего запроса эти примеры могут содержать грубую лексику.
На основании Вашего запроса эти примеры могут содержать разговорную лексику.
реже, чем
более редкие, чем
более редкими, чем
более редким, чем
более редкая, чем
более редки, чем
большая редкость, чем
более редкое, чем
меньше, чем
But some are more rare than others.
Additionally, platinum is more rare than gold.
They are more rare than gold.
Finally, diamonds are much more rare than gold.
The uniqueness of the animals is that they are almost extinct, and are more rare than the panda.
Уникальность животных состоит в том, что они практически вымерли, и являются более редкими, чем панды.
They’re more rare than the panda bear.
Tonight… I offer you something more rare than any of you can possibly imagine.
Сегодня я представлю вам нечто настолько уникальное, что вы даже представить не можете.
Turns out those herbs are a little more rare than we thought.
It’s more rare than you think.
Blue, green, and pink diamonds are much more rare than yellow diamonds.
Голубые, зеленые и розовые бриллианты встречаются гораздо реже, чем желтые.
Platinum is strong, more rare than gold and therefore more expensive.
Having a driving map is essential — many streets are one-way; left turns are more rare than rights (and are unpredictable).
Наличие карты вождения очень важно — многие улицы односторонние; левые повороты реже правых (и непредсказуемы).
It is frequently found in iron-bearing waters but is more rare than iron.
Он часто встречается в железорудных водах, но реже, чем железо.
This position is more rare than one might think, as people have more often declared themselves agnostics or secularists.
Эта позиция является более редким, чем можно подумать, так как люди все чаще объявили себя агностиками или светского государства.
It is even more rare than diamonds.
And that’s even more rare than the photos themselves.
Common sense would suggest that an item more rare than another similar item would reflect that relative rarity in price.
Здравый смысл подсказывает, что товар, встречающийся реже подобного товара, отразил бы эту относительную редкость в цене.
It’s obviously much more rare than in adults, but it does occur.
Конечно, такое явление встречается у детей намного реже, чем у взрослых, но это все-таки бывает.
It’s obviously much more rare than in adults, but it does occur.
Конечно, значительно реже, чем у взрослых, но бывают.
A green garnet of over five carats is more rare than an emerald in the same size.
Зеленый гранат более пяти карат встречается реже, чем изумруд того же размера.
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