Why are ethers generally less soluble in water than alcohols?

Ethers are generally less soluble in water than alcohols because they lack the hydroxyl (–OH) group found in alcohol molecules.12

In alcohols, the strongly polarized O–H bond allows the molecules to engage in hydrogen bonding with water, which significantly enhances their solubility. Because ethers lack this hydroxyl group, they cannot form hydrogen bonds with each other or donate hydrogen bonds to water molecules.132

While ethers can act as hydrogen-bond acceptors—using the nonbonding electron pairs on their oxygen atoms to form hydrogen bonds with other molecules that have O–H or N–H bonds—this interaction is not as effective for water solubility as the dual ability of alcohols to both donate and accept hydrogen bonds. Consequently, the inability of ethers to participate in the same extent of hydrogen bonding as alcohols results in their lower solubility in water.12