More wet or wetter?

Question

My wife was corrected after using more wet.

Answer 1

The rule, as I learnt it at school, is that words with one syllable take the ending -er, with two syllables you have the choice between the ending -er and "more", and with more syllables you must use "more". I am not sure about the scope and reliability of this rule, but I don't remember seen any exception so far.

Wetter is definitely correct.

That's exactly the rule/principle that I follow. - samdie, Feb 10, 2012

Here's one exception: Fun. You won't hear Funner and Funnest. Funnier is a different word than 'more fun'. - pesta, Feb 10, 2012

Answer 2

Yes, Guillermo in this case there are certain adjectives where you add the -er or -est in order to obtain the superlative degree. Unfortunately many of these have to be memorized. Wet, wetter and wettest are the superlative degress and this is how it is formed in English..Example: The baby boy's diaper is wetter than his sister's. He has the wettest diaper of all of the babies...I hope this helps!

In England we call them nappies. The wettest nappy is not the horribliest , however, it's just the wettest.. - annierats, Feb 10, 2012

They are not superlatives, but comparatives. The superlative forms are wettest, fastest... - lazarus1907, Feb 10, 2012

Annie, can you say 'horribliest"? Isn't that a "more horrible" nappie? - katydew, Feb 10, 2012

Both sound wrong..Better to say, "Isn't that a really horrible" or "That nappie is the worst"..in my humble oppinion. - rac1, Feb 10, 2012

I think it's actually, most horrible. - Leatha, Feb 10, 2012

That works too. - rac1, Feb 10, 2012

Answer 3

The rule according to a link that is within one of qfreed's links:

link text

Only one syllable, ending in E. Examples: wide, fine, cute

Add -r: wider, finer, cuter

Add -st: widest, finest, cutest

Only one syllable, with one vowel and one consonant at the end. Examples: hot, big, fat

Double the consonant, and add -er: hotter, bigger, fatter

Double the consonant, and add -est: hottest, biggest, fattest

Only one syllable, with more than one vowel or more than one consonant at the end. Examples: light, neat, fast

Add -er: lighter, neater, faster

dd -est: lightest, neatest, fastest

Two syllables, ending in Y. Examples: happy, silly, lonely

Change y to i, then add -er: happier, sillier, lonelier

Change y to i, then add -est: happiest, silliest, loneliest

Two syllables or more, not ending in Y. Examples: modern, interesting, beautiful

Use “more” before the adjective: more modern, more interesting, more beautiful

Use “most” before the adjective: most modern, most interesting, most beautiful

That is the "bestest" answer :)) - ian-hill, Feb 10, 2012

Well, it does not include the irregulars, does it, as you so aptly point out. Oh well. - Stadt, Feb 10, 2012

Thanks. Very informative, but still nobody said if "more wet" is acceptable. - 00e657d4, Feb 10, 2012

Lacking any grammar training since high school, I have to go with published rules, but I would say that in your sentence wetter definitely sounds better. - Stadt, Feb 10, 2012

There are sentences that I can think of, usually with comparisons, where is doesn't sound as bad, but in all cases wetter still sounds a bit better. Several co-workers agree. - Stadt, Feb 10, 2012

Answer 4

Have her take this quiz...comparatives

wetter vs more wet

Adjective (wetter modifies it in your sentence)

wet (comparative wetter, superlative wettest)

Today was wetter than yesterday, it's the wettest day so far this year. Superlative? It's horrible.... - annierats, Feb 10, 2012

Your second links to this nice summary: http://web2.uvcs.uvic.ca/elc/studyzone/330/grammar/regcom.htm - Stadt, Feb 10, 2012

A very helpful reference link, as always. Quizas google deba incorporarle en su "search engine" :-) - JazSpanish, Feb 10, 2012

Answer 5

As others have said, we generally form the comparatives and superlatives of monosyllabic words by adding -er and -est (with some doubling of final consonants when appropriate). However, there are some monosyllabic words that don't work this way and some longer words that do. There are guidelines, but no real rules, so we have to memorize the exceptions. Also, people may disagree on some of them. Some monosyllabic exceptions to my ear: fake, ill, beige, orange, chaste, drab, taut, hoarse, right, left, odd, sore, vast, raw, in addition to wrong as annierats mentioned. Annierats also offered heavy, which like a lot of other bisyllabic words ending in -y, adds -er and -est after the y-->i conversion. Simple, narrow, and quiet also add -er and -est.

Answer 6

Stick with heavier, wetter and faster. They can't go wrong, but more wronger would be very wrong indeed!

More wet can be used:

The Met Office told us there is more wet weather to come.. However, for everyday use, stick with wetter.

You are correct...there is no such word as wronger.lol..love your answer - rac1, Feb 10, 2012

Gracias , rac1 - annierats, Feb 10, 2012

Yes, but in your example, "more wet weather" is right. It would be a totally different meaning if you said " wetter weather". - 00e657d4, Feb 10, 2012

Bienvenido a Inglaterra! It just rains, whatever you call it..However, you're quite right. A matter of rainfall. - annierats, Feb 10, 2012

"wet weather" = a noun phrase = so it cannot have a comparative :) - ian-hill, Feb 10, 2012