superlative

/suːˈpɜː.lə.tɪv/

//suːˈpɜː.lə.tɪv// adj

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"superlative" is a 11-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“superlative” has 16 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #37,719. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#37,719
frequency rank, English
6,566
“S” headwords
16
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Having the power to carry something or someone above, over or beyond others.

Corpus desk

Index EN-superlative · superlative · English

superlative · rank #37,719 · 16 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #37,719
  • LEN-MEGA 11 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 16 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 6,566
  • PHOTO-FINISH Sulu

Nearest frequency peer: Sulu (-1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “superlative”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “superlative” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for superlative
PropertyValue
Headwordsuperlative
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/suːˈpɜː.lə.tɪv/
Letters11
Frequency rank#37,719
Misspellings tracked16
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “superlative”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).superlativelands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “Sulu” (#37,718), “surmounted” (#37,720), “sud” (#37,717). Among 6,566 “S” headwords, “superlative” is #37,719. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 16 spelling variants around superlative (IPA /suːˈpɜː.lə.tɪv/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #37,719 among 6,566 “S” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 16 likely wrong-spelling variants for superlative, with forms such as "spuerlative", "ssuperlative", and "sueprlative". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. No close-neighbour confusable shows up for this headword in our dataset, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English superlatyf, from Old French superlatif, from Late Latin superlātīvus, from Latin superlātus (“carried above, over; extravagant, of hyperbole”), past participle of superfero (“carry over”), from super (“above”) + fero (“bear, carry”). The correct English form is superlative, spelled S-U-P-E-R-L-A-T-I-V-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Having the power to carry something or someone above, over or beyond others.
  2. 2
    Exceptionally good; of the highest quality.
  3. 3
    Of or relating to the superlative degree (a degree of comparison of adjectives and adverbs).

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

These source excerpts show how superlative appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. The Governor-General was entertaining at a civil banquet in the evening. He is reported as having made a “superlative speech, congratulating the Victorians on their loyalty; […].”

Etymology

From Middle English superlatyf, from Old French superlatif, from Late Latin superlātīvus, from Latin superlātus (“carried above, over; extravagant, of hyperbole”), past participle of superfero (“carry over”), from super (“above”) + fero (“bear, carry”).

This word in other languages

supremo(Español)superlatif(Français)höchst(Deutsch)supremo(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • spuerlative
  • ssuperlative
  • sueprlative
  • supelrative
  • superaltive
  • superlaitve
  • superlatiev
  • superlativve
  • superlattive
  • superlatvie
  • superllative
  • superltaive
  • superrlative
  • supperlative
  • suprelative
  • usperlative

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of superlative - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

spuerlative2ssuperlative1sueprlative2supelrative2superaltive2superlaitve2superlatiev2superlativve1
Edit distance from "superlative"

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "superlative"?
"superlative" is spelled S-U-P-E-R-L-A-T-I-V-E. The IPA pronunciation is /suːˈpɜː.lə.tɪv/.
What does "superlative" mean?
As an adjective, "superlative" means: Having the power to carry something or someone above, over or beyond others.
What are common misspellings of "superlative"?
Common misspellings include "spuerlative", "ssuperlative", "sueprlative", "supelrative", "superaltive". The correct spelling is "superlative".
How do you pronounce "superlative"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "superlative" is /suːˈpɜː.lə.tɪv/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "superlative"?
From Middle English superlatyf, from Old French superlatif, from Late Latin superlātīvus, from Latin superlātus (“carried above, over; extravagant, of hyperbole”), past participle of superfero (“carry over”), from super (“above”) + fero (“bear, ca... See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "superlative", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 11 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

submersible#37,715stereotyped#37,708Schenectady#37,673sarcophagus#37,667

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (16 here; floor ≥5).

subduction16 variantsunclassified16 variantswatertight16 variantsrepatriated16 variants

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list