Much vs Many
English divides quantifiers into two main groups, so you use much with uncountable nouns and many with countable nouns. This short guide gives clear examples and tips to help you choose quickly.
Much
Use much for things you cannot count individually, like liquids, substances, time, or abstract amounts. It often appears in questions and negative sentences.
Examples
| English Example | English Translation |
|---|---|
| 🌧️ There is much water in the reservoir. | There is a large quantity of water in the reservoir. |
| ☁️ There is much cloud cover today. | There is a lot of cloud cover today. |
| 🌬️ There is much wind on the hilltop. | There is a strong amount of wind on the hilltop. |
| 🌫️ There is much fog in the valley. | There is a great deal of fog in the valley. |
More Examples
| English Example | English Translation |
|---|---|
| 🏞️ There isn’t much snow on the mountain. | There isn’t a large amount of snow on the mountain. |
| 🏖️ There wasn’t much rain during the drought. | There wasn’t a significant quantity of rain during the drought. |
| 🌲 There is much moisture in the morning dew. | There is a lot of moisture in the morning dew. |
| 🔥 There was much smoke from the wildfire. | There was a great deal of smoke from the wildfire. |
Sign In
Add an email to access exercises.
Many
Use many for things you can count one by one, like people, objects, and distinct units. It appears naturally in questions, negatives, and positive sentences with countable nouns.
Examples
| English Example | English Translation |
|---|---|
| 🐑 There are many sheep on the hillside. | There are a large number of sheep on the hillside. |
| ⛺️ There are many tents in the valley. | There are lots of tents in the valley. |
| 🧗 There are many climbers on the cliff. | There are numerous climbers on the cliff. |
| 🚶 There are many hikers on the trail. | There are a great number of hikers on the trail. |
More Examples
| English Example | English Translation |
|---|---|
| 🌳 There aren’t many trees on the ridge. | There aren’t a large number of trees on the ridge. |
| 🦅 There aren’t many birds in the sky today. | There aren’t many birds flying today. |
| 🏡 There are many houses in the valley. | There are numerous houses in the valley. |
| 🚗 There were many cars parked at the trailhead. | There were lots of cars at the trailhead. |
Sign In
Add an email to access exercises.
Short
In informal speech, speakers often use a lot of instead of much or many to sound more natural and to cover both countable and uncountable nouns. Much also appears less frequently in positive sentences.
Summary
Remember: use much for uncountable nouns and many for countable nouns. When in doubt, a lot of works well in everyday English for both types.
Last updated: Tue Sep 16, 2025