‘More Friendly' or 'Friendlier': Which is Correct?

Should you describe someone as ‘more friendly’ or ‘friendlier’? And what’s the difference between the two? We’ll go over that in detail, plus teach you how to use both in a sentence and pronounce them.

In short, the correct one is:

• ‘More Friendly’ is correct when comparing multiple people.
• ‘Friendlier’ is correct when talking about just one person.

The key is that if there’s more than one person mentioned, use ‘more friendly.’ If not, use 'friendlier.' Otherwise, your writing will be incorrect and ungrammatical.

‘Friendlier’? Or ‘More Friendly’? - Which is Correct?

While both phrases are correct to use in everyday English, you must be careful about usage.

When you’re talking about two people (comparing them), you can use ‘more friendly’ or ‘friendlier.’

However, when you’re talking about just one person, you might say that they’re ‘friendlier’ than they used to be. Or ‘friendlier’ than you thought they’d be.

‘More Friendly’ vs. ‘Friendlier’

Both of these words stem from the word ‘friendly.’ When used as an adverb, the correct term is ‘friendlier.’

For example:

Bethany was friendlier than her mom.

But when it’s used as an adverb, you should use ‘more friendly.’

For example:

She was more friendly than she was last year.

Definition of 'More Friendly': What Does ‘More Friendly’ Mean?

According to Merriam-Webster, the definition of ‘friendly’ is:

• Of or relating to a friend, showing kind interest and goodwill, not hostile, cheerful, and comforting.
• It could also mean serving a beneficial or helpful purpose, being easy to use or understand (user-friendly), and in a friendly manner.
• Another definition is one that is friendly.

Synonyms of the word include:

• Amicable
• Chummy
• Cordial
• Genial
• Warmhearted
• Neighborly
• Buddy-buddy
• Companionable

Definition of ‘Friendlier’: What Does 'Friendlier' Mean?

The Merriam-Webster definition of ‘friendlier’ is of or relating to, or befitting a friend, such as showing kindly interest and goodwill, not hostile, and cheerful or comforting.

It also means:

• Serving a beneficial or helpful purpose
• Easy to use or understand
• Designed or intended to accommodate particular needs, users, etc.
• Not causing or likely to cause harm
• In a friendly manner
• One that is friendly

Pronunciation: How to Pronounce ‘More Friendly’ and ‘Friendlier’

Are you wondering how to pronounce this word and phrase?

Here’s a short guide.

To pronounce ‘more friendly,’ here’s the phonetic spelling:

mAW- frEndlEE

To pronounce ‘friendlier,’ here’s the phonetic spelling:

frEndlEEr

How to Use ‘More Friendly’ and ‘Friendlier’ in a Sentence

Now that we know what both mean let’s see some examples of using them in sentences.

More Friendly

• We got a new Economics professor, but she’s more friendly than our last one. Everyone loves her.
• Miriam is much more friendly than I remember her to be. She’s in such a good mood these days; I wonder what has changed.
• When Eleanor told us she had brought enough for everyone, I realized she was a lot friendlier than I thought at first.
• We all know that after Miss Rogers got married, she got a lot more friendly. And we’re all really grateful for it.
• Phoebe from Hey Arnold was always more friendly than her best friend, Helga Pataki.

Friendlier

• At the last organization I worked for, the employees were friendlier than they are here. I hope I didn’t make a mistake.
• Down at the plant where I work, John is friendlier than Sam. So I try to stay on Sam’s good side to avoid any backlash.
• Lisa’s been a lot friendlier since she got a boyfriend. She let me borrow her earrings, and it was much appreciated.
• Our neighbor, Gladys, is a lot friendlier these days. Winning the lottery will do that to you.
• Miranda Baily went from being known as The Nazi to being a lot friendlier as Grey’s Anatomy progressed.

Final Thoughts on ‘More Friendly’ and ‘Friendlier’

To recap, we learned that the correct one is:

• ‘More Friendly’ should be used when comparing one person to another.
• ‘Friendlier’ should be used when talking about just one person.

Remember, if there’s more than one person mentioned, use ‘more friendly.’ If there are two, use the other. To keep your writing correct and grammatical, stick to this basic rule.

If you ever forget the difference, you can always come back to refresh your memory. You can also browse our other content on confusing words and phrases since you might see them in your everyday life and in whatever you read. Make it easy for yourself and get familiar with as many words as possible.