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Is there a real difference between:

1 It is worth buying this phone. – 2 This phone is worth buying.

I heard an opinion that 1 is wrong. However, this is what I found in a dictionary.

3 It's worth discussing.

So, technically 1 is correct. Is there a semantic-related reason or something else that makes 1 incorrect?

On top of that, what’s the difference between.

4 It's worth discussing.

5 It's worthwhile discussing.

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  • It's worth noting that only that version has any real currency. The three other permutations (with worthwhile and/or to try) are all syntactically valid (and effectively, mean the same), but they're rarely used.
    – FumbleFingers
    Commented Apr 5, 2023 at 11:03
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    Note that idiomatic usage varies with adverbial elements like worth buying and, for example, easy to use. So This phone is easy to use / It's easy to use this phone / Using this phone is easy are all fine, but It's easy using this phone is relatively uncommon, even though syntactically it looks pretty much like It's worth buying this phone.
    – FumbleFingers
    Commented Apr 5, 2023 at 11:09

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I agree that 1 is wrong: it's not the same as 3.

In example 3, It's worth discussing., the word it refers to something previously mentioned, outside of the sentence.

In example 1, it tries to refer to buying this phone, at the end of the same sentence, and it doesn't work.

You could say It's worthwhile buying this phone., which is a way of saying
Buying this phone is worthwhile.

But using worth, that transformation doesn't work:
*Buying this phone is worth.

Adding to the previous answer. Here is a definition of worth:
Merriam-Webster worth
preposition
2: deserving of
well worth the effort

So, worth is a preposition in this use. The M-W definition has an adjective sense, but it is marked as archaic, so it's irrelevant here.

Here is the definition of worthwhile:
Merriam-Webster worthwhile
adjective 1: being worth the time or effort spent
worthwhile preparations

Since worth is a preposition, it requires an object, which it lacks in example 1.
In the examples with worthwhile, as an adjective, it needs a noun or pronoun to apply to.

As to examples 4 and 5, I find 4 understandable - something previously mentioned is linked to the adjectival preposition phrase "worth discussing*.
Example 5 doesn't hold together for me - it wants a last word-
It's worthwhile discussing prices.
If, in example 5, it refers to something outside the sentence, then discussing seems to be hanging there unattached.

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  • What is the difference between 4 and 5?
    – user1425
    Commented Apr 5, 2023 at 11:50
  • My take on that one - (4) means that it (the topic) is one that it would be useful to discuss; (5) means that discussing it would be a worthwhile activity - so, in effect, not much difference.
    – Kate Bunting
    Commented Apr 5, 2023 at 15:23
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    I can find lots of examples of "It's worth buying..." and "Is it worth buying...?" on Google, Twitter, etc, and I don't think you've shown why it might be wrong. It's probably colloquial rather than very formal, but still valid in that context.
    – Stuart F
    Commented Jan 4 at 9:31
  • "It's worth buying." What's worth buying? The phone is worth buying. But, "It's worth buying this phone." doesn't have any connection or use for the word "it".
    – Jack O'Flaherty
    Commented Jan 4 at 21:18

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