Study Resource: Two-syllable adjectives that can take ‘-er’ / ‘-est’ comparatives and superlatives

By: revel arroway

Most two- have and forms like these:

more+ adjective

the most+ adjective

more anxious

the most anxious

But some can be formed by adding -er or -est to the end of the adjective:

-er

-est

yellower

yellowest

Read on to learn more!


Key to the tables below:
✅ → officially correct ❌ → officially incorrect Forms in red are almost never used.¹ Forms in gray are uncommon forms.¹ Forms in white are common forms.¹ Note: Sometimes forms that are technically incorrect are still used by native speakers!

¹ In published writing, according to Google N-grams (2023)

Adjectives ending in ‘-y’

The table below shows the comparative forms of some common two-syllable adjectives that end in -y.

All two-syllable adjectives ending in -y have an -er / -est comparative and superlative form.
Some have a comparative with more / most.
→ The more/most forms are more acceptable with more common adjectives.


Stem	-er comparative -est superlative	more comparative most superlative	Notes
busy	✅ busier ✅ busiest	❌ more busy ❌ most busy
happy	✅ happier ✅ happiest	❌ more happy ❌ most happy
angry	✅ angrier ✅ angriest	✅ more angry ✅ most angry
easy	✅ easier ✅ easiest	❌ more easy ❌ most easy
likely	✅ liklier ✅ likeliest	✅ more likely ✅ most likely
heavy	✅ heavier ✅ heaviest	❌ more heavy ❌ most heavy
bloody	✅ bloodier ✅ bloodiest	❌ more bloody ❌ most bloody	more bloodyis sometimes used, but most bloodyis usually not used
sorry	✅ sorrier ✅ sorriest	✅ more sorry ✅ most sorry	sorriestis a little more common than most sorry
tiny	✅ tinier ✅ tiniest	❌ more tiny ❌ most tiny	more tinyis used, but rarely
early	✅ earlier ✅ earliest	❌ more early ❌ most early
empty	✅ emptier ✅ emptiest	❌ more empty ❌ most empty	Comparative and superlative forms are only used metaphorically (e.g. I’ve never heard an emptier argument.)
funny	✅ funnier ✅ funniest	❌ more funny ❌ most funny
lucky	✅ luckier ✅ luckiest	✅ more lucky ✅ most lucky
friendly	✅ friendlier ✅ friendliest	✅ more friendly ✅ most friendly	Before about 1980, more/most friendly was much more common
pretty	✅ prettier ✅ prettiest	❌ more pretty ❌ most pretty
fatty	✅ fattier ✅ fattiest	❌ more fatty ❌ most fatty	Before 1980, more fatty and most fatty were very common
slippery	✅ slipperier ✅ slipperiest	❌ more slippery ❌ most slippery	slipperierless common than more slippery, probably because it is more difficult to pronounce.
windy	✅ windier ✅ windiest	❌ more windy ❌ most windy
sleepy	✅ sleepier ✅ sleepiest	❌ more sleepy ❌ most sleepy
healthy	✅ healthier ✅ healthiest	✅ more healthy ✅ most healthy	healthierand healthiest are much more common
dirty	✅ dirtier ✅ dirtiest	❌ more dirty ❌ most dirty
lonely	✅ lonelier ✅ loneliest	✅ more lonely ✅ most lonely
noisy	✅ noisier ✅ noisiest	❌ more noisy ❌ most noisy
lazy	✅ lazier ✅ laziest	❌ more lazy ❌ most lazy
tricky	✅ trickier ✅ trickiest	❌ more tricky ❌ most tricky
tricky	✅ trickier ✅ trickiest	❌ more tricky ❌ most tricky
sturdy	✅ sturdier ✅ sturdiest	❌ more sturdy ❌ most sturdy
guilty	✅ guiltier ✅ guiltiest	✅ more guilty ✅ most guilty	Though not all dictionaries accept more/most guilty, they are actually slightly more common
wealthy	✅ wealthier ✅ wealthiest	✅ more wealthy ✅ most wealthy
fancy	✅ fancier ✅ fanciest	❌ more fancy ❌ most fancy
gloomy	✅ gloomier ✅ gloomiest	❌ more gloomy ❌ most gloomy
silly	✅ sillier ✅ silliest	❌ more silly ❌ most silly	More silly is used occasionally, but most silly is very rare
crazy	✅ crazier ✅ craziest	❌ more crazy ❌ most crazy	More crazyis used rarely
ugly	✅ uglier ✅ ugliest	❌ more ugly ❌ most ugly
sunny	✅ sunnier ✅ sunniest	❌ more sunny ❌ most sunny
tidy	✅ tidier ✅ tidiest	❌ more tidy ❌ most tidy
risky	✅ riskier ✅ riskiest	❌ more risky ❌ most risky
skinny	✅ skinnier ✅ skinniest	❌ more skinny ❌ most skinny
tasty	✅ tastier ✅ tastiest	❌ more tasty ❌ most tasty
thirsty	✅ thirstier ✅ thirstiest	❌ more thirsty ❌ most thirty
rainy	✅ rainier ✅ rainiest	❌ more rainy ❌ most rainy
spicy	✅ spicier ✅ spiciest	❌ more spicy ❌ most spicy
curly	✅ curlier ✅ curliest	❌ more curly ❌ most curly
messy	✅ messier ✅ messiest	❌ more messy ❌ most messy
curly	✅ curlier ✅ curliest	❌ more curly ❌ most curly
cloudy	✅ cloudier ✅ cloudiest	❌ more cloudy ❌ most cloudy
shady	✅ shadier ✅ shadiest	❌ more shady ❌ most shady
snowy	✅ snowier ✅ snowiest	❌ more snowy ❌ most snowy	most snowy is almost never used
salty	✅ saltier ✅ saltiest	❌ more salty ❌ most salty

Other adjectives

The table below illustrates some common adjectives that belong to other categories of two-syllable adjectives that can have comparatives and superlatives with -er or -est.

Adjective stem ends in -er


Stem	-er comparative -est superlative	more comparative most superlative
clever	✅ cleverer ✅ cleverest	✅ more clever ✅ most clever
eager	✅ eagerer ✅ eagerest	✅ more eager ✅ most eager
proper	✅ properer ✅ properest	✅ more proper ✅ most proper

Adjective stem ends in [consonant] + -le


Stem	-er comparative -est superlative	more comparative most superlative	Notes
able	✅ abler ✅ ablest	❌ more able ❌ most able	Even though abler/ablest are technically correct, they are less common
little	✅ littler ✅ littlest	❌ more little ❌ most little
noble	✅ nobler ✅ noblest	✅ more noble ✅ most noble
humble	✅ humbler ✅ humblest	✅ more humble ✅ most humble
gentle	✅ gentler ✅ gentlest	✅ more gentle ✅ most gentle
simple	✅ simpler ✅ simplest	✅ more simple ✅ most simple
purple	✅ purpler ✅ purplest	✅ more purple ✅ most purple

Adjective stem ends in -ow


Stem	-er comparative -est superlative	more comparative most superlative	Notes
narrow	✅ narrower ✅ narrowest	❌ more narrow ❌ most narrow
yellow	✅ yellower ✅ yellowest	✅ more yellow ✅ most yellow	Yellowestis more common than most yellow
hollow	✅ hollower ✅ hollowest	❌ more hollow ❌ most hollow	Even though more/most hollow are not officially correct, they are quite common
shallow	✅ shallower ✅ shallowest	❌ more shallow ❌ most shallow

Adjective stem ends in -el


Stem	-er comparative -est superlative	more comparative most superlative	Notes
cruel	✅ crueler ✅ crueler	✅ more cruel ✅ most cruel
novel	❌ noveler ❌ novelest	✅ more novel ✅ most novel
level	✅ leveler ✅ levelest	❌ more level ❌ most level	leveler/ levelest are spelled leveller / levellest in British English

Adjective stem ends in -me (with stress on the first syllable)

Note: not all adjectives in this group have an -er/-est form!


Stem	-er comparative -est superlative	more comparative most superlative
handsome	✅ handsomer ✅ handsomer	✅ more handsome ✅ most handsome
awesome	✅ awesomer ✅ awesomest	✅ more awesome ✅ most awesome
extreme	✅ extremer ✅ extremest	✅ more extreme ✅ most extreme
welcome	❌ welcomer ❌ welcomest	✅ more welcome ✅ most welcome

Adjective stem ends in -te
Stem -er comparative
-est superlative more comparative
most superlative
polite
✅ politer
✅ politest
✅ more polite
✅ most polite
remote
✅ remoter
✅ remotest
✅ more remote
✅ most remote

Stem	-er comparative -est superlative	more comparative most superlative
polite	✅ politer ✅ politest	✅ more polite ✅ most polite
remote	✅ remoter ✅ remotest	✅ more remote ✅ most remote

Adjective stem ends in -id


Stem	-er comparative -est superlative	more comparative most superlative	Notes
stupid	✅ stupider ✅ stupider	✅ more stupid ✅ most stupid
humid	✅ humider ✅ humidest	✅ more humid ✅ most humid	Dictionaries do not agree about whether the -er/-est versions exist, but they are very uncommon
stupid	❌ stupider ❌ stupider	✅ more stupid ✅ most stupid

Other common adjectives with -er/-est forms


Stem	-er comparative -est superlative	more comparative most superlative	Notes
stale	✅ stupider ✅ stupider	❌ more stale ❌ most stale
pleasant	✅ pleasanter ✅ pleasantest	✅ more pleasant ✅ most pleasant
common	✅ commoner ✅ commonest	✅ more common ✅ most common	The -er/-est forms are mostly used when common means “lower-class”
quiet	✅ quieter ✅ quietest	✅ more quiet ✅ most quiet