Join In
Twitter
YouTube
Weekly Newsletter
Libraries
A-Z Grammatical Terms
A-Z Confused Words
FAQs by Writers
A-Z Awkward Plurals
Punctuation Lessons
Common Mistakes
(ordered by seriousness) ESL Vocabulary Lists Parts of Speech Lists A-Z Idioms and Proverbs Grammar Videos
(ordered by category) Tests and Games Top Tip Install a grammar checker
for your browser
(ordered by seriousness) ESL Vocabulary Lists Parts of Speech Lists A-Z Idioms and Proverbs Grammar Videos
(ordered by category) Tests and Games Top Tip Install a grammar checker
for your browser
Double Superlative
What Is a Double Superlative? (with Examples)
A double superlative is a grammar mistake caused by applying two ways of forming a superlative instead of one. Double superlatives are most commonly committed when someone uses "-est" and "most" at the same time (e.g., most tallest).Table of Contents
- Examples of Double Superlatives
- Avoiding Double Superlatives
- Why Understanding "Double Superlatives" Is Important
- Printable Test

Examples of Double Superlatives
- He is the most wisest.
- She is the most quickest.
Avoiding Double Superlatives
The rules for forming the superlatives of adjectives are summarized in the table below.Type of Adjective | Example | Rule | Example |
---|---|---|---|
one syllable | strong | add -est | strongest |
one syllable ending vowel consonant | big | double consonant and add -est | biggest |
more than one syllable | famous | precede with less or more | more famous less famous |
more than one syllable ending y | silly | remove y and add -ier for the less version, precede with less | sillier less silly |
irregular | good bad | There are no rules. | best worst |
- He is the most silliest person I know.
- She is our most best player.
- It's the worstest meal I've ever eaten.
- I tried most hardest.
- There are several ways to form a superlative. Apply the way that fits your word. If you apply two of the ways, you'll have created a serious mistake called a double superlative.
Help Us Improve Grammar Monster
- Do you disagree with something on this page?
- Did you spot a typo?
Find Us Quicker!
- When using a search engine (e.g., Google, Bing), you will find Grammar Monster quicker if you add #gm to your search term.