more friendly vs friendlier

English as a Second Language English Vocabulary, Grammar and Idioms
1

Hello,

Please, which one is correct: more friendly or friendlier
Are both correct?

Thanks in advance

2

Hi Jon

The word friendly is a two-syllable adjective, and saying ‘friendlier’ would be correct and quite natural. However, I’m sure that people sometimes also say ‘more friendly’.

Adverbs such as quickly and slowly, for example, can only be used with ‘more’ to make the comparative form:

  • more quickly
  • more slowly
    .
3

Just to add to this – ‘slower’ can also be used (but then it is the comparative of the adverb ‘slow’).

Sometimes ‘quick/quicker’ are also used as adverbs, but this is informal English.

4

Hi Conchita

Yes, that’s right. People often use one-syllable adjectives (slow and quick, for example) as adverbs in informal English.

However, I mentioned two syllable adverbs ending with -ly as a result of Jon’s specific question about the adjective ‘friendly’. Though saying ‘friendlier’ is correct and natural, you cannot change the ending of a two-syllable -ly adverb to -lier – not even in more informal English.