# most

> English word · Determiner · IPA /ˈməʊst/ · frequency rank #104

## Definitions
1. superlative degree of much.
2. superlative degree of many: the comparatively largest number of (construed with the definite article)
3. superlative degree of many: the majority of; more than half of (construed without the definite article)

## Etymology
Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *meh₂-der.
Proto-Germanic *maiz
Proto-Germanic *maistaz
Proto-Germanic *maist
Proto-West Germanic *maist
Old English mǣst
Middle English
English most
From Middle English most, moste, from Old English mǣst, māst, from Proto-Germanic *maistaz, *maist. Cognate with Scots mast, maist (“most”), Saterland Frisian maast (“most”), West Frisian meast (“most”), Dutch meest (“most”), German meist (“most”), Danish and Swedish mest (“most”), Icelandic mestur (“most”).

## Easily confused with
- **MS** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/most-vs-ms)
- **MT** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/most-vs-mt)
- **Mrs** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/most-vs-mrs)
- **MPS** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/most-vs-mps)
- **MSM** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/most-vs-msm)
- **MSG** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/most-vs-msg)
- **mou** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/most-vs-mou)
- **mot** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/most-vs-mot)
- **mow** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/most-vs-mow)
- **MSP** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/most-vs-msp)
- **MSN** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/most-vs-msn)
- **MSA** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/most-vs-msa)
- **MSI** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/most-vs-msi)
- **MSF** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/most-vs-msf)
- **MST** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/most-vs-mst)
- **MRT** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/most-vs-mrt)
- **Mss** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/most-vs-mss)
- **Moz** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/most-vs-moz)
- **must** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/most-vs-must)
- **move** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/most-vs-move)

## Common misspellings (6)
`mmost`, `mosst`, `mostt`, `mots`, `msot`, `omst`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/most