Funner vs. More Fun

To form the comparative form of an adjective, you typically follow one of two rules: short adjectives are made comparative by adding –er (i.e. quiet = quieter); long adjectives are made comparative by adding "most" in front of the adjective (i.e. expensive = more expensive). However, fun is a word that has not traditionally followed this pattern. Let's take a look at why and then discuss whether or not you should use funner or more fun in your writing and speaking.

Fun, traditionally, functioned as a noun and was not considered an adjective. While this has changed over time, it has affected the way in which we form the comparative. Nouns don't have a comparative form, so when comparing states of "fun," "more" was added to form a noun phrase.

Examples of fun used as a noun in a noun phrase:

So, as fun has been used as an adjective, "more fun" was the acceptable form:

There is really nothing grammatically incorrect, however, about the word funner. In fact, if we follow the rules of how comparatives are formed, funner is the form we would make.

The problem is, however, that most fun is still the accepted form, and some sources and grammarians do not even recognize funner as a word. Therefore, you should probably use most fun in any writing or speaking that is formal-and funner can be used in your more informal settings.