The Order of Adjectives is a specific, fixed sequence that English speakers follow when placing multiple adjectives before a noun. While native speakers follow this rule intuitively, for learners, knowing this order is essential for making phrases and descriptions sound natural and grammatically correct.
If you don't follow this order, the sentence will technically be understood, but it will sound awkward or "wrong" to a native English ear (e.g., "a red big balloon" sounds incorrect, but "a big red balloon" sounds natural).
The Standard Order (The Royal Order)
The adjectives are arranged in a hierarchy, generally moving from the most subjective (Opinion) to the most objective (Purpose).
A common mnemonic (memory aid) for the categories of adjectives is OSASCOMP (or a variation of it):
Position Category Mnemonic Letter Examples
0 Determiner / Quantity D / Q a, the, two, many, my, your
1 Opinion (Subjective, judgment) O beautiful, ugly, lovely, fantastic, horrible
2 Size (Dimension) S huge, tiny, small, tall, short
3 Age A old, new, young, ancient, brand-new
4 Shape (Form) S round, square, flat, rectangular
5 Color C red, blue, black, bright, pale
6 Origin (Nationality/Source) O French, Italian, American, Eastern
7 Material (What it's made of) M wooden, silk, leather, plastic, metal
8 Purpose (What it is used for) P running (shoes), sleeping (bag), writing (desk)
9 NOUN (The main subject)
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Complete Example
Determiner Opinion Size Age Color Origin Material Purpose Noun
A wonderful small old brown Italian leather riding saddle
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The Phrase: A wonderful small old brown Italian leather riding saddle.
The weather is the state of the air outside right now.
It describes things like:
How hot or cold it is. (Temperature)
If the sun is shining or if there are clouds.
If it is raining or snowing.
How windy it is.