Vocabulary · Basics
Comparisons in English
A2
Comparisons in English: short and long comparatives, irregular forms like better and worse, superlatives, and structures like as … as or the same as. With British pronunciation (IPA) and examples.
Quick answer
Short comparatives (one syllable + -er)
| Word | Meaning | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| bigger(adj.)“My brother is bigger than me.” | larger in size than another | /ˈbɪɡə/ |
| smaller(adj.) | less large than another | /ˈsmɔːlə/ |
| taller(adj.) | of greater height than another | /ˈtɔːlə/ |
| shorter(adj.) | of less height or length | /ˈʃɔːtə/ |
| older(adj.) | having lived more years | /ˈəʊldə/ |
| younger(adj.) | having lived fewer years | /ˈjʌŋɡə/ |
| cheaper(adj.) | costing less money | /ˈtʃiːpə/ |
| faster(adj.) | moving at a greater speed | /ˈfɑːstə/ |
| slower(adj.) | moving at a lower speed | /ˈsləʊə/ |
Long comparatives (more + adjective)
| Word | Meaning | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| more expensive(adj.)“This phone is more expensive than that one.” | with a higher price | /mɔː ɪkˈspensɪv/ |
| more beautiful(adj.) | nicer to look at | /mɔː ˈbjuːtɪfl/ |
| more interesting(adj.) | less boring than another | /mɔː ˈɪntrəstɪŋ/ |
| more difficult(adj.) | harder to do or understand | /mɔː ˈdɪfɪkəlt/ |
| more important(adj.) | of greater value or meaning | /mɔː ɪmˈpɔːtnt/ |
| more popular(adj.) | liked by a greater number of people | /mɔː ˈpɒpjələ/ |
Irregular comparatives
| Word | Meaning | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| better(adj.)“This pizza is better than mine.” | the comparative of good | /ˈbetə/ |
| worse(adj.) | the comparative of bad | /wɜːs/ |
| more(adj.) | the comparative of many and much | /mɔː/ |
| less(adj.) | a smaller amount (uncountable nouns) | /les/ |
| fewer(adj.) | a smaller number (countable nouns) | /ˈfjuːə/ |
| farther / further(adj.) | the comparative of far | /ˈfɑːðə/ |
Short superlatives (-est)
| Word | Meaning | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| the biggest(adj.)“It's the biggest city in France.” | larger than all the others | /ðə ˈbɪɡɪst/ |
| the smallest(adj.) | tinier than all the others | /ðə ˈsmɔːlɪst/ |
| the tallest(adj.) | higher than all the others | /ðə ˈtɔːlɪst/ |
| the oldest(adj.) | having lived the most years | /ðə ˈəʊldɪst/ |
| the youngest(adj.) | having lived the fewest years | /ðə ˈjʌŋɡɪst/ |
| the cheapest(adj.) | costing less than all the others | /ðə ˈtʃiːpɪst/ |
| the fastest(adj.) | quicker than all the others | /ðə ˈfɑːstɪst/ |
Long and irregular superlatives
| Word | Meaning | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| the most beautiful(adj.) | nicer to look at than all others | /ðə məʊst ˈbjuːtɪfl/ |
| the most expensive(adj.) | with the highest price of all | /ðə məʊst ɪkˈspensɪv/ |
| the most popular(adj.) | liked by the greatest number of people | /ðə məʊst ˈpɒpjələ/ |
| the best(adj.)“You're the best!” | the superlative of good | /ðə best/ |
| the worst(adj.) | the superlative of bad | /ðə wɜːst/ |
| the most(adj.) | the superlative of many and much | /ðə məʊst/ |
| the least(adj.) | the smallest amount of all | /ðə liːst/ |
Equality and other structures
| Word | Meaning | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| as ... as(struct.)“She's as tall as me.” | used to say two things are equal | /əz ... əz/ |
| not as ... as(struct.) | used when one thing is less | /nɒt əz ... əz/ |
| the same as(struct.) | exactly like something else | /ðə seɪm əz/ |
| different from(struct.) | not like something else | /ˈdɪfrənt frɒm/ |
| similar to(struct.) | almost like something else | /ˈsɪmələ tə/ |
| than(conj.) | the word after a comparative | /ðæn/ |
Common mistakes to avoid
More big ❌: short adjectives take -er
One syllable → -er (bigger, faster). Three syllables or more → more (more beautiful, more interesting). Two syllables: it varies (happy → happier, careful → more careful). With an adjective in -y, change the y to i and add -er: happy → happier. Never use both: more bigger is wrong.
Bigger that me ❌: use than
To compare, use than, not that: bigger than me ✓ · bigger that me ✗. The two words look and sound similar, so be careful when you speak.
Less people ❌: use fewer
Fewer goes with countable nouns (fewer books, fewer people). Less goes with uncountable nouns (less water, less money). A common mistake: less people ✗ → fewer people ✓.
Practice quiz
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Frequently asked questions
When do you use -er and when do you use more?+
With a one-syllable adjective, add -er: big → bigger, fast → faster. With three syllables or more, use more: more beautiful, more interesting. Two-syllable adjectives vary. Many that end in -y, -er or -ow take -er (happy → happier, narrow → narrower). The others take more (more careful).
What is the comparative of good and bad?+
Some comparatives are irregular, so you learn them by heart, like irregular verbs: good → better → the best, bad → worse → the worst, far → farther/further → the farthest/furthest, little → less → the least, many/much → more → the most.
What is the difference between fewer and less?+
Use fewer with countable nouns (things you can count): fewer books, fewer cars, fewer people. Use less with uncountable nouns (things you cannot count): less water, less time, less money. A common mistake is less people instead of fewer people.
How do you use as … as in English?+
Use as + adjective + as to say that two things are equal: as tall as me, as beautiful as a flower. In the negative, use not as … as: He is not as tall as his sister. This structure is very common.
Is it than or then in comparisons?+
Use than to compare: He's taller than me. She runs faster than him. Do not confuse it with then (at that time, after that) or with that. Taller then me and taller that me are both wrong.
Updated on 12 November 2026 by the Big Challenge teaching team. Every year, more than 500,000 students across Europe take part in our English contest, created in 1999. Our teaching approach →
The Big Challenge · Updated on 12 November 2026 · Source: www.thebigchallenge.com/bl/academy/learn-english/vocabulary/comparisons
© The Big Challenge. Copying allowed for classroom use. Every year, more than 500,000 students across Europe take part in our English contest, created in 1999.