The carbon-oxygen bond in phenol is slightly stronger than that in methanol. Why?
The carbon-oxygen bond in phenol is slightly stronger than that in methanol. Why?

Reason:

(i) The carbon-oxygen bond obtains a partial double bond character due to the resonance. As a result, the carbon-oxygen bond in phenol shrinks in size.

ii) Oxygen is directly connected to a sp2 hybridised carbon atom in phenol, whereas Oxygen is directly bonded to an sp3 hybridised carbon atom in methanol. As a result, the connection formed between oxygen and the sp2 hybridised carbon atom is stronger than in methanol.