Why Phenols are more acidic than Alcohol ?

Explanation

Out of alcohols and phenols , phenols are more acidic .

(i) Phenol is a resonance hybrid of the following contributing structures .

Due to resonance , oxygen acquires some positive charge (II to IV) .It will strongle attract the shared electrons of O-H bond towards itself and `H^(+)` ion is released .
(ii) Phenoxide ion is also reasonance stabilised .

Phenoxide ion is stabilised to a greater extent due to the dispersion of - ve charge .Thus phenoxide ion is readily formed due to the dissociation of phenol .
On the other hand , neither alcohol nor alkoxide ion is resonance stabilised Moreover , alkyl group due to its +I effect increases the electron density on oxygen in alkoxide ion and thus , destabilises it .

Thus , alcohols do not dissociate to give `H^(+)` ion .Hence phenols are more acidic than alcohols .