Superlatives are the highest degree of comparison. This means, superlatives are used when we talk about something that is at the top level or the bottom level of a quality. Let's take a look at how the superlative works in the English language.
Superlatives ending in -est
For one-syllable adjectives, we simply add -est at the end of the word to indicate the superlative. For example:
- cheap - the cheapest
- high - the highest
Superlatives ending in -iest
For two-syllable adjectives that end in "y", we change the "y" to "i" and add "est" to indicate the superlative. For example:
- happy - the happiest
- friendly - the friendliest
Superlatives with "most"
For two-syllable adjectives that don't end in "y" and adjectives with three or more syllables, we add "the most" or "the least" to indicate the superlative. For example:
- careful - the most careful
- difficul - the least difficult
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