Moreso or More So – Which Is Correct? (With Examples)

Many people are often confused about the spellings “more so” and “moreso.” This article examines whether both are correct, compares the use of the terms, and provides examples for you to see them in context.

Moreso or More So – Which Is Correct?

All the major dictionaries state that the correct standard spelling is “more so” written as two words. However, there are examples of “moreso” being used where it is written as one word, especially in the US, but it is viewed as the “incorrect non-standard” version of the spelling.

The term “more so” is listed in the Collins Dictionary as “to a greater extent or degree” and spelt as two words. However, it does appear in the odd dictionary, such as Your Dictionary, as a “disputed” spelling of “more so.”

The spelling “moreso” is used more in the United States than anywhere else in the world, and whilst some people may accept it, it is best to use the spelling listed in all major dictionaries, which is “more so.”

Sometimes the word “even” is added before the term “more so” to emphasise the word a little more; in this case, the spelling does not change to “even moreso”, and instead remains as “even more so.” The meaning of this phrase is the same, but it is just more emphatic.

Here are some examples of “more so” in a sentence:

• Peter is a great football player and his brother Jack even more so.
• Mexico is famous for its food, even more so for its Tequila.
• We all value your effort here at the company, even more so since we lost several staff members.
• We need to spend money on advertising, more so than on recruitment.

Moreso

The term “moreso” spelt as one word is not listed in most dictionaries and has long been viewed as “incorrect” by organisations in charge of usage and spelling.

Nonetheless, despite this perception of incorrectness, the spelling “moreso” is occasionally found in written English, more so in the United States than anywhere else.

It is also implied that “moreso” is used more when there is no antecedent (an earlier word that it recalls) and the sentence is referring to “more” rather than “more so.”

Here are some examples of “moreso” in a sentence:

1. The summer holidays can be expensive, but moreso when you go abroad.
2. Frank is not happy about the result, but moreso, he is unhappy that he has to do the test again.
3. Even moreso than Paul, James tried his best on the exam.
4. Even moreso than Tesla, the share price of Ford fell significantly.

More So

The spelling “more so” as two words is the version that is found in dictionaries as the “correct” version.

According to the Collins Dictionary, the term means “to a greater extent or degree” and is basically used when comparing things to say that “this one is more……than the other one.”

Here are some examples of how to use “more so” in a sentence:

1. Yesterday was really hot and today even more so.
2. He was great at speaking languages, and his mother even more so.
3. Pete was upset he lost his job, even more so after he found out his wife was divorcing him.
4. He has always transmitted passion in his albums, more so than in his live concerts.

Which Is Used the Most?

The Google Ngram shows us that “more so” has always been far more common than “moreso”, which hardly appears on the global graph.

The graph for American English reveals that it is slightly more popular there than it is in British English, although it is still relatively infrequent, even in the US.

Final Thoughts

The accepted and standard spelling version is “more so” with two words. The version “moreso” is used infrequently in some circles, especially in the USA, but it is best to stick with the dictionary version, which is “more so.”