Degree of Comparison

Definition

Adjectives describe a quality or characteristic of a noun or pronoun. The basic form of an adjective is sometimes known as the positive degree.

But adjectives can also be inflected (changed in form) to compare a quality between two nouns—this form is known as the comparative degree.

Similarly, we can also inflect an adjective to identify a noun with the highest (or lowest) degree of an attribute among a group—this is known as the superlative degree.

Forming the Comparative and Superlative Degrees

We generally form the comparative degree by adding the suffix “-er” to the end of the adjective, or by using the words more or less before it.

To form the superlative degree, we either add “-est” to the end of the adjective or use the words most or least before it.

In some cases, depending on how the adjective is spelled, we have to change the spelling slightly to accommodate the addition of the suffix; there are some simple rules we can follow to know when such a change is necessary.

(To learn when and how to use these inflected degrees of comparison, go to the sections on Comparative Adjectives and Superlative Adjectives.)

“Short” Adjectives

With one-syllable adjectives, we add “-er” or “-est” and double the final consonant if preceded by one vowel. For example:

Adjective (positive degree)	Comparative degree	Superlative degree
big	bigger	biggest
thin	thinner	thinnest
sad	sadder	saddest
slim	slimmer	slimmest

The final consonant is not doubled if it is preceded by two vowels or another consonant, as in:

Adjective (positive degree)	Comparative degree	Superlative degree
weak	weaker	weakest
strong	stronger	strongest
large*	larger*	largest*
small	smaller	smallest

(*If the adjective ends in an “e,” then you only need to add “-r” or “-st.”)

If an adjective has two syllables and ends in “-y,” we replace “y” with “i” and add “-er” or “-est,” as in:

Adjective (positive degree)	Comparative degree	Superlative degree
happy	happier	happiest
chewy	chewier	chewiest

“Long” Adjectives

“Long” adjectives are adjectives that have three or more syllables, or adjectives that have two syllables and do not end in “-y.” Rather than changing the ending of long adjectives, we use the words more or less before the adjective to make them comparative, or most/least to make them superlative. For example:

Adjective (positive degree)	Comparative degree	Superlative degree
careful	more/less careful	most/least careful
caring	more/less caring	most/least caring
gifted	more/less gifted	most/least gifted
intelligent	more/less intelligent	most/least intelligent
beautiful	more/less beautiful	most/least beautiful
amazing	more/less amazing	most/least amazing

Irregular adjectives

As with most grammatical rules in English, there are some exceptions to the patterns above. Adjectives that do not inflect according to the normal patterns are known as irregular adjectives. For example:

Irregular adjective (positive degree)	Comparative degree	Superlative degree
fun	more/less fun	most/least fun
bad	worse	worst
well (healthy)	better	best
good	better	best
far*	farther/further*	farthest/furthest*

(*Although farther/further and farthest/furthest are often used interchangeably, there are differences between these two forms. In American English, farther/farthest is preferred when comparing physical distances, and further/furthest is preferred when comparing figurative distances; in British English, further/furthest is preferred for both uses.)

Adjectives with multiple forms of inflection

There are also some adjectives that can be inflected using either form we looked at above. The following are some of the most common:

Adjective (positive degree)	Comparative degree	Superlative degree
clever	cleverer or more/less clever	cleverest or most/least clever
likely	likelier or more/less likely	likeliest or most/least likely
narrow	narrower or more/less narrow	narrowest or most/least narrow
quiet	quieter or more/less quiet	quietest or most/least quiet
simple	simpler or more/less simple	simplest or most/least simple

1) by addition of '-er' and '-est' to the positive degree

*POSITIVE	*COMPARATIVE	*SUPERLATIVE
bright	brighter	brightest
black	blacker	blackest
bold	bolder	boldest
clever	cleverer	cleverest
cold	colder	coldest
fast	faster	fastest
great	greater	greatest
high	higher	highest
kind	kinder	kindest
long	longer	longest
rich	richer	richest
small	smaller	smallest
strong	stronger	strongest
sweet	sweeter	sweetest
tall	taller	tallest
thick	thicker	thickest
young	younger	youngest

2) by addition of '-r' and '-st' to the positive degree ending in 'e'

POSITIVE	COMPARATIVE	SUPERLATIVE
brave	braver	bravest
fine	finer	finest
large	larger	largest
nice	nicer	nicest
noble	nobler	noblest
pale	paler	palest
simple	simpler	simplest
wise	wiser	wisest
white	whiter	whitest

3) When the positive ends in 'y' and has a consonant before it, we change 'y' into 'i' and then add 'er' and 'est'.

By deleting the final ‘y’ and adding ‘ier’ and ‘iest’
*POSITIVE	*COMPARATIVE	*SUPERLATIVE
costly	costlier	costliest
dry	drier	driest
easy	easier	easiest
happy	happier	happiest
heavy	heavier	heaviest
lazy	lasier	lasiest
mercy	mercier	merciest
wealthy	wealthier	wealthiest

4) when the positive degree ends in a consonant with a vowel before it, we double the consonant & then add '-er' and '-est'

*POSITIVE	*COMPARATIVE	*SUPERLATIVE
big	bigger	biggest
dim	dimmer	dimmest
fat	fatter	fattest
hot	hotter	hottest
thin	thinner	thinnest

5) by addition of '-er' and '-est' to the positive degree when it ends in '-y'

*POSITIVE	*COMPARATIVE	*SUPERLATIVE
gay	gayer	gayest
grey	greyer	greyest

6) by placing 'more' and 'most' before the positive form

*POSITIVE	*COMPARATIVE	*SUPERLATIVE
active	more active	most active
attractive	more attractive	most attractive
beautiful	more beautiful	most beautiful
brilliant	more brilliant	most brilliant
careful	more careful	most careful
courageous	more courageous	most courageous
cunning	more cunning	most cunning
difficult	more difficult	most difficult
famous	more famous	most famous
faithful	more faithful	most faithful
important	more important	most important
proper	more proper	most proper
popular	more popular	most popular
splendid	more splendid	most splendid
suitable	more suitable	most suitable

Some adjectives do not follow any of the rules explained earlier. They are compared irregularly. Here are the different forms of such adjectives.

*POSITIVE	*COMPARATIVE	*SUPERLATIVE
bad	worse	worst
evil	worse	worst
good	better	best
ill	worse	worst
far	farther	farthest
well	better	best
late	later	latest (time)
late	later	last (position)
little	less	least
much	more	most
many	more	most
near	nearer	nearest
old	older	oldest
old	elder	eldest