What does “Acidity of alcohols vs phenols” actually mean in Alcohols, Phenols & Ethers, and why does it matter for NEET?
phenols are far more acidic than alcohols because the phenoxide ion is stabilised by resonance into the ring.
In simple words: phenols are far more acidic than alcohols because the phenoxide ion is stabilised by resonance into the ring. Getting Acidity of alcohols vs phenols clear matters because NEET questions on Alcohols, Phenols & Ethers usually test this idea directly, not just a formula you memorised.
Key point
Acidity of alcohols vs phenols
Common mistake
ranking an alcohol as more acidic than a phenol.
Memory tip
phenoxide spreads its charge into the ring → phenol is the stronger acid.
Tap to watch or see it right here — the app stays open (it only opens a quick search if nothing embeddable is found).