Difference between Alcohol and Phenol and Their Properties

Updated on Jul 4, 2025 17:20 IST

By Jaya Sharma, Assistant Manager - Content

This lesson aims to explain the difference between alcohol and phenol in detail. Before proceeding to the detailed differences, we will provide a brief overview of how these two groups differ. In simple words, Alcohol contains hydroxyl groups attached to the alkyl carbon atoms. On the other hand, Phenol contain the hydroxyl group directly attached to the aromatic benzene ring.

Phenol vs Alcohol

Let's understand the difference between phenol and alcohol. NCERT exercise on Alcohol, Phenols and Ether covers questions related to this:

✅ Alcohols have hydroxyl groups bonded to an sp³-hybridised, saturated carbon (aliphatic chain), whereas in phenols, it is attached directly to an sp²-hybridised carbon of an aromatic ring, usually benzene. This structural switch makes phenols markedly more acidic.

✅ Phenols react readily with bases such as NaOH to give water-soluble salts, whereas most alcohols do not.

✅ Alcohols show oxidation to carbonyls or substitution of the -OH group, whereas phenols undergo electrophilic aromatic substitution (e.g., nitration, halogenation) because of the ring.

✅ Physically, lower alcohols are highly water-soluble and have lower boiling points compared with isomeric phenols, which engage in stronger intermolecular hydrogen bonding and π–π interactions.

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Table of contents

What is Alcohol?
What is a Phenol?
Difference between Alcohol and Phenol

What is Alcohol?

Alcohol is one of the most commonly found compounds in nature. They contain at least one hydroxyl functional group (-OH) attached to a carbon atom of a hydrocarbon or an alkyl group. Further, the type of carbon attached to the hydroxyl group determines whether the alcohol is a primary, secondary, or tertiary compound. Alcohols have been covered in detail in the chapter Alcohol, Phenol and Ether. Let us now take a look at the structure of alcohol:

Properties of Alcohol

Some of the physical properties of alcohol are as follows:

Boiling point: Alcohols have slightly higher boiling points due to the presence of hydrogen bonds between the hydroxyl groups.
Solubility: Alcohols are soluble in water if the hydrogen bonds are hydrophilic and form hydrogen bonds with water.
Acidity: Alcohol reacts with sodium, potassium, and other active metals to form alkoxides. These reactions indicate its acidic nature.

What is a Phenol?

Phenols or phenolics are chemical compounds that consist of a hydroxyl group attached to an aromatic hydrocarbon. They are known as a subset of alcohol but exhibit different physical and chemical properties in comparison. They are also known as carbolic acids and are used to prepare nylons, herbs, detergents, and other pharmaceutical products. In exams like IIT JAM and JEE Main, questions are often asked about the structure, properties and reactivity of the group instead of direct questions.

Structure of Phenol

Difference between Alcohol and Phenol

We know that phenol is sometimes considered a type of alcohol. However, various factors can help us differentiate between the two compounds. The following table explains the difference between alcohols and phenols:

ALCOHOL	PHENOL
Organic compound that contains one or more hydroxyl functional groups attached to a saturated carbon atom	Organic compounds that consist of a hydroxyl group attached to a group of hydrocarbons or arene.
Consists of aliphatic hydrocarbons	Consists of aromatic hydrocarbons
Less acidic	More acidic in comparison with alcohol and needs to be diluted before use
Used as an ingredient in alcoholic beverages, ink, pharmaceuticals, and various other chemical products	Commonly used as antiseptic agents
Colourless and are found in the liquid state	Colourless but crystalline at standard temperature and pressure
Neutral and show no reaction on litmus paper or other tests	Changes the colour of litmus paper to red
Do not react with sodium hydroxide (NaOH)R	Reacts with sodium hydroxide (NaOH) to form phenoxides

Alcohols and Phenols in class 11: In class 11, the basic structure and reaction of different compounds with alcohols and phenols are mentioned in various chapters.
Alcohols and phenols in class 12: The chapter on Alcohols, Phenols, and Ether in class 12 includes a complete and detailed explanation of alcohols and phenols. It consists of a thorough explanation of the physical and chemical properties of alcohols and phenols. For CBSE board exam students, it is advisable to practice questions rather than just cramming the subject.
The chapter also discusses the reactions involved in the preparation of these compounds and correlates the physical properties with their structure.