Prefer to/Prefer over

I would accept either one as correct. "to" may be a little more formal.

I agree. The Mirosoft word prefers "Prefer To" to "Prefer Over".

Hi guys,

Where I live, I almost never hear anyone say 'prefer over'. It sounds pretty formal to me.

Best wishes, Clive

Outside of experience or preference, does anyone have any reasoning behind the choice? Just curious.

Both work, but to is more frequent.

Google hits at the BBC site:
8 from bbc.co.uk for "was preferred over"
869 from bbc.co.uk for "was preferred to"

From the BBC:
-----
Reports suggest the two men would be extradicted to face trial on
Dutch Government premises in the Hague not in the International Court
of Justice, b

Where do you live, Clive?

Hi,

Canada

Clive

I have never heard anyone say 'I prefer football over cricket', for example, as it's always been 'to' in my experience, but maybe with the passive as in the BBC report and when it means 'rather than' and is not a straight 'I prefer one thing to another'. I think it might also be used more frequently with a noun, as in to have a preference for something 'over' something else. After all, lots of wo

Too bad the original poster is long gone lo! these 6 years. Both sound fine to me. I use both.

I think the more correct expression is 'prefer to'.I say this because when we say 'prefer' there is an implied 'over'. Thus, 'prefer over' is somewhat tautological.