When discussing mountains, there is a huge difference in definition between ‘tallest’ and ‘highest’. Mount Everest is the highest, but the tallest mountain on earth is actually in Mauna Kea in Hawaii.






Mt. Everest, seen from Tingri a small village on the Tibetan plateau at around 4050m above sea level.

When measuring mountain summits by their height above sea level, Mount Everest is the highest mountain in the world. Standing at 29,035 feet (8,850 meters) it reigns over the "eight-thousanders" club, a list that consists of the 14 mountains on Earth that are at least 8,000 meters tall,for a base-to-peak height in the range of 3,650 to 4,650 metres (12,000 to 15,300 ft).
Mauna Kea, an inactive volcano in Hawaii, is the world's tallest mountain as measured from its base, deep in the Pacific Ocean, to its summit .It's summit is at 13,796 feet (4,205 meters)above sea level , but it extends about 19,700 feet (6000 meters) below the water's surface. Therefore, its total height is 33,500 feet (10,210 meters), nearly a mile taller than Mount Everest, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS).






A view of the Mauna Kea volcano of Hawaii from the ocean.

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