shier or more shy?

M

Monisia

Senior Member
Poland
Polish
I was wondering which form is correct for comparison of an adjective 'shy'?
It's a short one so it should be - 'shier, the shiest', but it sounds strange-or maybe it is only my weird impression? - especially 'shier' sounds strange:) is it correct?
 
    • More shy is probably used more often, but shyer is correct. I would also say the most shy, although shyest is often used as well.
     
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    JoanTaber said:
    A one-syllable word in comparative form--at least in US English--requires the addition of -er or -est.
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    There are exceptions to this, such as "fun" and often with borrowed words such as "chic", "suave" and such.

    In fact, I wouldn't say it's an actual requirement but it is a very good rule of thumb.

    Despite what the AE dictionary might say, I think I would spell them "shyer" and "shyest" as well. www.m-w.com gives both spellings in AE, so I'll choose the "y" version.
     
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    I have no problem with the spelling shier, and it's probably the one I would use.

    The general rule with adjectives ending in y is to form the comparatives and superlatives by changing the y to i and adding -er or -est: happy, happier, happiest.

    The reason why shier is a bit weird is twofold: 1) the y in shy is pronounced [aɪ] instead of like in happy, so you could argue that it doesn't have to follow the y -> i rule described above (as if it were a different phenomenon), and 2) shier looks a lot like pier, which is pronounced as one syllable like peer, [pɪr], instead of like pyre, [ˈpaɪəʳ].*

    However, I personally see no problem with treating shy just like happy, despite the different pronunciations; and moreover, regarding point (2), we do indeed say & spell supply -> supplier instead of supplyer, and no one ever mispronounces supplier as *suh-PLEER.

    *pronunciations based on AE
     
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    I would use shier if I were talking about a person throwing things at an amusement park.

    Apart from that a one-syllable word adds er and a two-syllable word changes y to i and adds er.
     
    tepatria said:
    More shy is probably used more often, but shyer is correct. I would also say the most shy, although shyest is often used as well.
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    I would say the opposite. In BE, shier is more common, in fact I don't think anyone would say more shy. As for the spelling, I'd say shier but since noone agrees you would be fine with either.
     
    There are a few words like this that I wouldn't use "ier" and "iest" on:

    Spry "He was the spriest old man." (Looks odd to me)
    Sly "He was the sliest fox of the bunch." (Also looks odd to me)
     
    baker589 said:
    I would say the opposite. In BE, shier is more common, in fact I don't think anyone would say more shy. As for the spelling, I'd say shier but since noone agrees you would be fine with either.
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    Agreed... well..

    When people make comparisons and really want to emphasise something do use 'more' in a lot of ways they wouldn't usually, consider this:

    Becky is shier than Jamie, but even then out of the people in the group they hang around with they are probably the most outgoing! Well, what about that new girl Emma, she's even more shy!

    But generally, I agree, 'shier' is more common in BE (well, not that I know anything to compare it with really, but I mean it's the most used)
     
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