Superlative Adjectives in English

Superlative adjectives are used to compare three or more things, showing which one is the "most" or "least" of a quality.

1. How to Form Superlative Adjectives

A. Short Adjectives (1-2 syllables)
the + adjective + -est

• tall → the tallest
• big → the biggest

Spelling Rules:

1. Ending in -e: Add -st (nice → the nicest)
2. Ending in -y: Change to -iest (happy → the happiest)
3. One vowel + one consonant: Double consonant + -est (hot → the hottest)

Examples:

• "Mount Everest is the highest mountain."
• "This is the smallest box."

B. Long Adjectives (3+ syllables)
the most + adjective

• beautiful → the most beautiful
• expensive → the most expensive

Examples:

• "This is the most interesting book I've read."
• "She's the most intelligent student in class."

C. Irregular Adjectives
Some adjectives have special superlative forms:

Adjective	Superlative
good	the best
bad	the worst
far	the farthest/the furthest
little	the least
much/many	the most

Examples:

• "This is the best pizza in town!"
• "That was the worst movie ever."

2. How to Use Superlative Adjectives

✔ Compare three or more things:

• "This is the longest river in the country."
  ✔ With possessive words:
• "It's her most valuable necklace."
  ✔ With preposition 'in' (for places/groups):
• "He's the fastest runner in the team."

3. Comparison Chart: Comparative vs. Superlative

Adjective	Comparative	Superlative
tall	taller	the tallest
happy	happier	the happiest
modern	more modern	the most modern
good	better	the best

Example Sentences:

• "This house is bigger than that one." (comparative)
• "This is the biggest house on the street." (superlative)

Use PROMT.One Conjugator to check comparative and superlative adjective forms.