Fewer vs Less
English distinguishes fewer and less based on whether you can count individual units, so choosing the right word makes your meaning clear and natural.
Fewer
Use fewer with things that can be counted one by one, like items, people, or occurrences; think of them as discrete units. When you want to highlight a smaller number of countable things, fewer is the word to use.
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Less
Use less with uncountable amounts, such as time, money, distance, or substances that you measure in bulk; these are treated as a single mass. Less fits when you refer to a reduced quantity that is not divided into separate units.
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Examples
| English Example | English Translation |
|---|---|
| 🧴 There are fewer bottles on the shelf today. | There are not as many bottles on the shelf today. |
| 🧺 I used fewer bags at the store. | I used a smaller number of bags at the store. |
| 🥫 We have fewer cans than last week. | We have a reduced count of cans compared to last week. |
| 🧃 There are fewer juice cartons in the fridge. | There are not as many juice cartons in the fridge. |
| 🥖 She bought fewer loaves of bread. | She bought a smaller number of loaves of bread. |
| 🥚 There are fewer eggs in the carton. | The carton contains a reduced number of eggs. |
Special Cases
Some nouns can be tricky because they appear in both countable and uncountable forms; context determines whether to use fewer or less. Money is a common special case: use less for amounts and fewer for countable units like coins or bills.
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Common Mistakes
A frequent error is using less with plural, countable nouns in contexts like grocery lines or time durations that can be measured in units; native speakers typically use fewer in such cases. Paying attention to whether the noun is singular/plural and countable/uncountable helps avoid these mistakes.
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Summary
Use fewer for countable things and less for uncountable amounts; when in doubt, ask if you can count individual units. Remember that some nouns behave differently depending on context, so choose the word that matches how the noun is used in the sentence.
Last updated: Tue Sep 16, 2025