Short adjectives

(adjectives with one syllable; adjectives with two syllables ending in -y)

ADJECTIVE	COMPARATIVE	SUPERLATIVE
old	older	oldest	Most adjectives:
tall	taller	tallest	+ -er, -est.
cheap	cheaper	cheapest
late	later	latest	Adjectives ending
nice	nicer	nicest	in -e: + -r, -st.
fat	fatter	fattest	One vowel +
big	bigger	biggest	one consonant:
thin	thinner	thinnest	double consonant.
happy	happier	happiest	Change yto /.
easy	easier	easiest

Note the pronunciation of:
younger /'jAQga(r)/ longer /'|t5Qgs(r)/ stronger /'strt)r)gs(r)/
youngest /'jAqgist/ longest /'lt)r]gist/ strongest /'strnngist/

2 Irregular comparatives and superlatives

ADJECTIVE COMPARATIVE	SUPERLATIVE
good better	best
bad worse	worst
far farther/further	farthest/furthest (see 126)
old older/elder	oldest/eldest (see 299.5)
The determiners little anti much/many have
irregular comparatives and superlatives:
little less	least
much/many more	most

3 Longer adjectives

(adjectives with two syllables not ending in -y, adjectives with three or more syllables)

ADJECTIVE	COMPARATIVE	SUPERLATIVE
tiring	more tiring	most tiring
cheerful	more cheerful	most cheerful
handsome	more handsome	most handsome
intelligent	more intelligent	most intelligent
practical	more practical	most practical

84
70
7
Some two-syllable adjectives have two comparatives and superlatives: for example commoner/more common, politest/most polite. We usually prefer the forms with more and most.
t> For information about how to use comparatives and superlatives, see 85.
How to make Comparative Adjectives

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