If you have ever wondered whether to write “one of the bests” or “one of the best,” the answer is usually straightforward: one of the best is the correct and natural expression.
For example:
She is one of the best students in her class.
Not:
She is one of the bests students in her class.
The confusion is understandable. English normally uses -s to make many nouns plural, so it can seem logical to think that best should also become bests when we are talking about several excellent people or things. But that is not how this grammatical structure works.
The key is to understand what best is doing in the sentence. In one of the best students, best is a superlative adjective. It describes the plural noun students, while students carries the plural form.
This article explains exactly why one of the best is correct, when bests can actually be used, which common mistakes to avoid, and how the same grammar pattern works with other superlatives.
Quick Answer
“One of the best” is the standard and natural expression.
Use one of the best + plural noun when you mean that someone or something belongs to a group of the highest-quality people or things.
She is one of the best teachers at the school.
“Bests” is not normally the plural form of the adjective best. However, bests can sometimes be a noun, especially in expressions such as personal bests.
One of the Bests or One of the Best: The Quick Difference
| Expression | Standard English? | Grammar | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| one of the best | ✅ Yes | best = superlative adjective | Among the highest-quality group | He is one of the best players. |
| one of the bests | ❌ Usually no | Incorrect attempt to pluralize best | Not the normal expression | Avoid: He is one of the bests players. |
| personal bests | ✅ Yes | bests = plural noun | Top personal performances/results | She achieved two personal bests. |
| the best | ✅ Yes | Adjective or noun | The highest quality or level | This is the best option. |
The central rule is simple:
Make the noun plural, not the adjective.
So:
one of the best students ✅
not:
one of the bests students ❌
Cambridge’s English Grammar Today specifically states that a noun following one of should be plural and gives “one of the best employees” as the correct pattern.
What Does “One of the Best” Mean?
One of the best means that a person, thing, place, experience, or choice belongs to a group considered exceptionally good, successful, useful, impressive, or high in quality.
For example:
Maya is one of the best doctors in the hospital.
This does not necessarily mean Maya is the single best doctor. It means she belongs to the group of doctors considered among the best.
Likewise:
This is one of the best movies I have seen this year.
The speaker is placing the movie within a group of movies they consider outstanding.
The phrase can therefore be understood as:
one member + of a group + considered the best
Common examples
- one of the best students
- one of the best teachers
- one of the best players
- one of the best restaurants
- one of the best books
- one of the best movies
- one of the best ideas
- one of the best choices
- one of the best places
- one of the best universities
- one of the best experiences
- one of the best solutions
Cambridge also defines best as the superlative form of good and gives examples such as “one of our best students.”
Why “One of the Best” Is Correct
The grammar becomes much clearer when you break the expression into parts.
Consider:
She is one of the best students in the class.
There are four important pieces:
- one = a single member
- of the = identifies the group
- best = describes the highest-quality group
- students = the plural noun representing that group
The structure is:
one + of + the + superlative adjective + plural noun
So:
one of the best students
one of the fastest runners
one of the largest cities
one of the most useful tools
one of the most interesting books
Notice what happens in every example.
The noun is plural:
- students
- runners
- cities
- tools
- books
But the adjective does not become plural.
We do not say:
one of the fastests runners ❌
or:
one of the largests cities ❌
or:
one of the usefuls tools ❌
The same principle gives us:
one of the best students ✅
Why “One of the Bests” Is Usually Incorrect
The problem with one of the bests is that it treats best as though it were a regular plural noun in this construction.
But in:
one of the best restaurants
best is functioning as an adjective.
It describes restaurants.
English adjectives do not normally change into plural forms simply because the noun they describe is plural.
Compare:
the good students
not:
the goods students ❌
And:
the best students
not:
the bests students ❌
The plural marking belongs to students, not best.
That is why the normal expression is:
one of the best
rather than:
one of the bests
What Part of Speech Is “Best”?
Understanding the part of speech solves most of the confusion.
The word best has several grammatical uses in English.
It can function as an adjective, adverb, noun, and, in some contexts, a verb.
For this particular question, the adjective and noun uses are the most important.
“Best” as an adjective
In:
She is one of the best teachers.
Best describes teachers.
It is the superlative form related to:
good → better → best
Cambridge identifies best as the superlative of good and gives examples such as “She’s one of our best students.”
Because best is an adjective here, we do not add -s to make it agree with the plural noun.
Correct
one of the best teachers
Incorrect
one of the bests teachers
What Does “Bests” Mean?
This is where things become slightly more interesting.
Although one of the bests is normally wrong when you are trying to say “one of the best people or things,” bests can be correct in another grammatical role.
In some contexts, best functions as a noun.
For example:
The runner achieved two personal bests this season.
Here, bests means the runner’s best performances or results.
Another example:
Her previous bests were recorded last year.
Here again, bests is functioning as a noun.
So the problem is not that the spelling bests can never occur.
The important question is:
What grammatical job is “best” doing?
Compare these sentences
She is one of the best athletes in the country.
Here, best is an adjective.
But:
She recorded three personal bests this year.
Here, bests is a noun.
These are two different grammatical structures.
“One of the Best” vs “One of the Bests”
| Feature | One of the best | One of the bests |
|---|---|---|
| Normal English usage | ✅ Very common | ❌ Not standard for this meaning |
| Best as adjective | ✅ Yes | ❌ No |
| Bests as noun | — | Possible in special contexts |
| Followed by plural noun | ✅ Yes | Not normally |
| Means “among the highest quality” | ✅ Yes | ❌ Not normally |
| Natural in everyday English | ✅ Yes | ❌ No |
| Suitable for formal writing | ✅ Yes | ❌ Avoid |
| Example | one of the best restaurants | one of the bests restaurants ❌ |
| Special noun use | personal best | personal bests |
The important distinction is not simply best versus bests.
It is:
adjective use versus noun use
The Grammar Pattern: “One of the + Superlative + Plural Noun”
The construction one of the best is part of a much larger English pattern.
The general formula is:
one of the + superlative + plural noun
Examples:
one of the largest cities
one of the fastest cars
one of the smartest students
one of the most beautiful beaches
one of the most expensive hotels
one of the most useful applications
one of the oldest buildings
The same grammatical principle applies throughout.
The noun is plural because one is being selected from a group.
Cambridge explicitly notes that nouns following one of should be plural and specifically applies this rule to one of the + superlative constructions.
Why Is the Noun Plural After “One”?
This is another common source of confusion.
You might think:
“If I am talking about one person, why isn’t the noun singular?”
Because one identifies one member of a larger group.
Consider:
He is one of the best players.
The meaning is roughly:
He is one player among a group of best players.
The individual is singular:
He
But the group is plural:
players
So the grammar is perfectly logical.
Compare
She is one of the best students.
One student is being identified from a group of students.
This is one of the best restaurants in town.
One restaurant is being identified from a group of restaurants.
That was one of the best decisions I made.
One decision is being identified from a group of decisions.
Can “One of the Best” Stand Alone?
Yes.
You do not always need to state the noun after one of the best.
For example:
Who is your favorite teacher?
Mr. Ahmed. He is one of the best.
The listener understands that one of the best teachers is meant.
Another example:
Have you tried the new restaurant?
Yes. It’s one of the best.
The omitted noun is understood from context.
This is different from saying one of the bests.
You still use best, even when the noun is omitted.
Correct
She’s one of the best. ✅
Incorrect
She’s one of the bests. ❌
when you simply mean “one of the best people in that field.”
Does “One of the Best” Mean Number One?
Not necessarily.
This distinction is important.
If you say:
He is the best player on the team.
You are making a stronger claim: he is being identified as the top player.
But:
He is one of the best players on the team.
means he belongs to the group of players considered the best.
There may be two, three, five, or more players in that group, depending on the context.
Compare
The best
Sarah is the best student in the class.
This presents Sarah as the top student.
One of the best
Sarah is one of the best students in the class.
This places Sarah among the strongest students.
The second expression is often useful when the speaker wants to praise someone without claiming that nobody else is equally good.
One of the Best: Pronunciation
The word best is pronounced:
/best/
It rhymes approximately with:
- rest
- test
- west
- chest
The word bests, when it occurs as a noun, is pronounced with an additional /s/ sound:
/bests/
But pronunciation should not be used to decide whether the grammar is correct.
The grammatical role matters more.
American English vs British English
There is no meaningful US-versus-UK difference in the basic rule.
American English and British English both naturally use:
one of the best students
one of the best restaurants
one of the best movies
one of the best places
You should not switch to one of the bests because you are writing for an American audience or a British audience.
The standard construction works in both varieties.
Is “One of the Best” Formal or Informal?
One of the best works across a wide range of contexts.
It is natural in:
- everyday conversation
- school writing
- business communication
- professional writing
- reviews
- journalism
- marketing
- academic writing
- online content
- social media
- presentations
Everyday
That’s one of the best restaurants around here.
Professional
She is one of the best candidates we interviewed.
Academic
This remains one of the best-known explanations of the phenomenon.
Business
Our company provides one of the best customer-support systems in the industry.
There is no need to replace one of the best with a more formal expression simply because you are writing professionally.
20+ Real-Life Examples of “One of the Best”
1. Everyday conversation
That was one of the best meals I’ve had all month.
2. Restaurant review
This is one of the best restaurants in the neighborhood.
3. School
Maria is one of the best students in our class.
4. Teacher evaluation
Mr. Wilson is one of the best teachers at the school.
5. Sports
He is one of the best players on the team.
6. Business
They are one of the best companies in the industry.
7. Professional writing
She is regarded as one of the best specialists in her field.
8. Academic writing
This remains one of the best-known studies on the subject.
9. Email
Thank you for your help. You have been one of the best mentors I’ve had.
10. Text message
That was one of the best trips ever!
11. Social media
Definitely one of the best concerts I’ve attended.
12. Travel
Kyoto is one of the most beautiful cities I have visited.
13. Technology
This is one of the best laptops available in this price range.
14. Books
It’s one of the best books I’ve read this year.
15. Movies
That is still one of the best films of the decade.
16. Career
She became one of the best engineers in the organization.
17. Food
This might be one of the best desserts I’ve ever tasted.
18. Personal recommendation
It’s one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.
19. Customer service
Your support team has provided one of the best experiences we’ve had.
20. Daily speech
He’s one of the best.
21. Professional recommendation
She is one of the best candidates for the position.
22. University
It is considered one of the best universities in the region.
23. Photography
This camera has one of the best lenses in its class.
24. Learning
Practice is one of the best ways to improve your English.
Common Mistakes With “One of the Best”
Mistake 1: “One of the bests students”
❌ She is one of the bests students in the class.
The mistake is adding -s to best.
Correct
She is one of the best students in the class.
The noun students is plural. Best remains unchanged.
Mistake 2: “One of the best student”
❌ He is one of the best student in the school.
Here, the problem is the singular noun.
Correct
He is one of the best students in the school.
Remember:
one of the + plural noun
Mistake 3: “One of best”
❌ She is one of best teachers here.
The standard expression needs the.
Correct
She is one of the best teachers here.
Mistake 4: “One of the bests” when the noun is understood
❌ She is one of the bests.
If you mean that she belongs to the group of top performers, use:
She is one of the best.
Mistake 5: Thinking “bests” is always wrong
This is the opposite mistake.
While one of the bests is not the normal construction, bests can be a legitimate noun in certain contexts.
For example:
The athlete achieved three personal bests.
Here, bests means top personal performances.
So the better rule is not:
“Never use bests.”
The better rule is:
Do not use bests as the plural form of the adjective best in “one of the best.”
When “Bests” Is Correct
There are situations where bests is grammatically possible.
Personal performances
She achieved two personal bests this year.
Records
His previous bests were difficult to beat.
Results
The swimmer has several impressive personal bests.
In these examples, best has become a noun referring to a person’s highest achievement or result.
This is completely different from:
She is one of the best swimmers.
Here, best is an adjective.
Compare the structures
Adjective:
one of the best swimmers
Noun:
several personal bests
That small distinction explains why bests can appear in English without making one of the bests correct.
What About “The Bests”?
You may occasionally encounter expressions such as:
the bests of the year
or unusual creative uses of bests.
Such forms may appear when writers deliberately use best as a noun to refer to multiple “best” items, achievements, selections, or categories.
However, that does not make one of the bests the standard replacement for one of the best.
For ordinary English, especially in education, professional writing, websites, exams, and formal communication, the safest and most natural choice is:
one of the best
“Best” Does Not Need a Plural Form Here
A useful way to understand the issue is to separate noun plurality from adjective modification.
Nouns can be plural:
player → players
book → books
restaurant → restaurants
Adjectives generally do not change according to whether the noun is singular or plural:
best player
best players
The adjective remains best in both cases.
Similarly:
good player
good players
Not:
goods players ❌
The same principle applies to:
best player
best players
Therefore:
one of the best players
is grammatically natural.
What About Other Superlatives?
The construction becomes even clearer if you compare best with other superlatives.
We say:
one of the biggest cities
not:
one of the biggests cities
We say:
one of the fastest runners
not:
one of the fastests runners
We say:
one of the smartest students
not:
one of the smartests students
We say:
one of the most beautiful places
not:
one of the most beautifuls places
So one of the best is not an isolated rule.
It follows a broad English grammar pattern:
one of the + superlative + plural noun
What Verb Should Follow “One of the Best”?
This is an important grammar point that is sometimes overlooked.
The subject of the sentence is one, not the plural noun after of.
Therefore, the verb is normally singular.
Correct
One of the best students is absent today.
Not:
One of the best students are absent today.
Why?
Because the subject is:
One
The phrase:
of the best students
tells us which one.
More examples
One of the best players was injured.
One of the best restaurants has closed.
One of the best options is to wait.
One of the best teachers works at our school.
This is another reason it helps to understand the complete grammatical structure rather than simply memorizing the phrase.
What If the Subject Is Plural?
Compare:
One of the best players is injured.
with:
Two of the best players are injured.
The noun players remains plural, but the verb changes according to the actual subject.
Singular
One of the best players is available.
Plural
Two of the best players are available.
Plural
Several of the best players are unavailable.
The same principle applies to other expressions such as:
each of the best options
one of the most important reasons
one of the largest companies
Can You Say “One of the Best Ones”?
Yes, but it serves a slightly different grammatical purpose.
For example:
This is one of the best ones.
Here, ones is a pronoun standing in for a previously mentioned plural noun.
Imagine someone asks:
Which laptop would you choose?
You might say:
This is one of the best ones.
Here, ones means laptops.
But when the noun is stated, simply say:
This is one of the best laptops.
So:
one of the best laptops ✅
and:
one of the best ones ✅
are both possible, depending on context.
But:
one of the bests ❌
is not the normal substitute.
“One of the Best” in Academic and Professional Writing
Some learners think that one of the best sounds too conversational for formal writing.
That is not generally true.
It can be perfectly appropriate in professional and academic contexts when the claim is supported by context.
For example:
The study provides one of the best explanations of the observed effect.
Or:
The organization is recognized as one of the best providers of technical training in the region.
However, in formal writing, be careful with unsupported superlatives.
Saying something is one of the best makes a strong evaluative claim.
In research or professional writing, it can be better to explain why:
The method is one of the most effective approaches because it reduces processing time and improves accuracy.
That makes the writing more precise.
How to Make “One of the Best” More Specific
The phrase becomes stronger and clearer when you identify the relevant group.
Compare:
She is one of the best.
This is understandable only if the context is clear.
More specific:
She is one of the best designers in the company.
Even more specific:
She is one of the best product designers on the company’s research team.
The more clearly you define the group, the more informative the sentence becomes.
Memory Tricks
Memory Trick 1: Pluralize the noun
Remember:
Plural noun, not plural adjective.
So:
one of the best players
not:
one of the bests
Memory Trick 2: Think “best describes”
Ask:
What does best describe?
If it describes a noun, leave it as best.
best students
best restaurants
best books
best players
Memory Trick 3: Use the “fastest” test
If you would never say:
one of the fastests runners ❌
then you should not say:
one of the bests runners ❌
The correct pattern is:
one of the fastest runners
and:
one of the best runners
Memory Trick 4: “One” chooses; the noun names
Think of the sentence this way:
one = selects one member
best = describes the quality
students = names the group
So:
one of the best students
This mental picture makes the structure much easier to remember.
A Simple Formula to Memorize
Keep this formula in mind:
one of the + superlative + plural noun
Examples:
one of the best books
one of the largest cities
one of the fastest cars
one of the most useful tools
one of the most important reasons
If you remember this formula, you will avoid most errors involving one of the best.
Quick Practice Quiz
Choose the correct option.
1. She is one of the ___ students in her class.
A. best
B. bests
Answer: A — best
She is one of the best students in her class.
2. This is one of the ___ restaurants in town.
A. best
B. bests
Answer: A — best
This is one of the best restaurants in town.
3. The athlete achieved three personal ___.
A. best
B. bests
Answer: B — bests
The athlete achieved three personal bests.
Here, bests is a noun.
4. He is one of the ___ players on the team.
A. best
B. bests
Answer: A — best
5. That was one of the ___ decisions I have made.
A. best
B. bests
Answer: A — best
6. She is one of the ___ teachers at the school.
A. best
B. bests
Answer: A — best
7. His previous personal ___ were recorded last year.
A. best
B. bests
Answer: B — bests
The noun bests is correct here because it refers to previous top results.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is “one of the bests” grammatically correct?
Not when you mean “one of the best people or things.” The standard expression is one of the best.
For example:
She is one of the best teachers.
Do not write:
She is one of the bests teachers.
The plural form belongs to the noun teachers, not to the adjective best.
Why do we say “one of the best” instead of “one of the bests”?
Because best is functioning as a superlative adjective in this construction.
It describes the plural noun:
one of the best students
The noun is plural, but the adjective does not need an -s ending. Cambridge’s grammar guidance specifically recommends a plural noun after one of the + superlative.
Is “one of the best” correct English?
Yes. One of the best is standard, natural English.
It means that someone or something belongs to a group regarded as being among the highest in quality, ability, performance, or value.
For example:
This is one of the best books I have read.
Can “bests” ever be correct?
Yes.
Bests can function as a plural noun in contexts such as:
She achieved two personal bests.
Here, bests refers to top personal performances or results.
That is different from the adjective in:
She is one of the best athletes.
Should the noun after “one of the best” be singular or plural?
It should normally be plural when it is a countable noun.
Correct:
one of the best students
one of the best restaurants
one of the best ideas
Incorrect:
one of the best student
one of the best restaurant
one of the best idea
The plural noun reflects the larger group from which one member is selected.
Is “one of the best” formal or informal?
It is suitable for both formal and informal English.
You can use it in conversations, reviews, school assignments, business writing, professional communication, and many academic contexts.
Does “one of the best” mean “the best”?
No.
The best generally identifies the top person or thing.
One of the best means that the person or thing belongs to a group considered to be among the top.
For example:
She is the best player on the team.
means something different from:
She is one of the best players on the team.
The second statement allows for other excellent players.
Can I say “one of the best” without a noun?
Yes.
When the noun is obvious from context, you can say:
He is one of the best.
The listener may understand:
He is one of the best players.
or:
He is one of the best teachers.
There is no need to change best to bests.
Is “one of the bests” acceptable in American English?
It is not the normal American English construction for saying someone or something is among the best.
Use:
one of the best
American and British English follow the same basic pattern here.
Final Verdict
The correct choice for normal English is:
One of the best ✅
Use it when you mean that a person or thing belongs to a group of people or things considered exceptionally good.
Correct
She is one of the best students in the school.
He is one of the best players on the team.
This is one of the best restaurants in the city.
That was one of the best decisions I ever made.
It is one of the best books I have read.
Avoid
She is one of the bests students. ❌
He is one of the bests players. ❌
This is one of the bests restaurants. ❌
The key grammar rule is:
one of the + superlative adjective + plural noun
So the plural marker belongs on the noun:
one of the best students
not on the adjective:
one of the bests students
There is one important qualification: bests can be correct when best is being used as a noun, especially in phrases such as personal bests. But that is a different grammatical structure.
The easiest rule to remember
Best stays best. The noun becomes plural.
So whenever you are unsure about one of the bests or one of the best, choose one of the best for the ordinary meaning.
Evan Bennett is a language enthusiast who writes simple, clear guides about word meanings, slang, phrases, and everyday expressions.
He helps readers understand modern language quickly with easy explanations and useful examples.