Word Pairs: Fewer vs. Less
It’s a battle for the ages: fewer vs. less.
Many people don’t even realize that these two words do not share the same meaning and therefore cannot be used interchangeably. As a result, both fewer and less are often used incorrectly.
The difference may be subtle but it’s significant and remarkably easy to remember. When using fewer or less as adjectives (words that modify nouns), deciding which to use in a sentence poses an interesting dilemma.
Let’s see what Dictionary.com has to say about it:
fewer: adjective 1. of a smaller number: fewer words and more action.
less: adjective 1. smaller in size, amount, degree, etc.; not so large, great, or much: less money; less speed.
Now, let me break it down for you.
Fewer? Less? Which is Correct?
Fewer and less respectively refer to a number of items, or an amount of something. The easiest way to remember which of these adjectives to use in a given situation is this:
Fewer should be used when the items in question can be counted.
She has fewer books than her brother.
Less is used when the amount of something cannot be counted.
She has less interest in reading than her brother.
Note that books can be counted item by item. However, interest is not a thing that can be counted, though we can discuss how much of it someone has.
The basic difference here is countability. Use fewer for countable nouns like individuals, cars, and pens. Use less for uncountable nouns such as love, time, and paper. Do note, however, that there are some sticky spots to watch out for when determining whether you should use fewer or less. For example, you might need less paper but you will need fewer sheets of paper.
Fewer? Less?
Now you know how to tell the difference.
Do you have questions about fewer, less, or any other word pairs? Maybe you have something to add to this linguistic look at tricky adjectives. Share your thoughts, knowledge, and let’s discuss.
Ah, you tackle yet another tricky topic for a lot of people. Great post! I really love your site. Though I was an English major in college and still do a lot of writing both professionally and personally, it’s so great to have these little refreshers when I visit your site. Thanks for taking the time to do this. I’m sure a ton of people really appreciate it!
Positively Present´s last blog ..why i need other people to change myself
That’s why I post these little refreshers. We can all use them! I’m always double-checking and looking up the rules. It’s a good practice. Of course, I might turn around and break those rules…
Haha, oh yes, fewer and less. I know the difference for the most part, but sometimes it actually feels weird to use “fewer” correctly when most people just use “less” for everything. I think the confusion comes from the fact that we only have one word for “more”, and from the phrase “more or less”, we sort of gather that the opposite of “more” is “less” and totally forgot about “fewer”.
The only problem with these two words is when there are numbers associated. We say “fewer people” and we say “less than three”. So do we say “fewer than three people” or “less than three people”? Similarly, we say “less coffee” and “fewer cups”. Do we say “fewer than three cups of coffee” or “less than three cups of coffee”?
I think you should write about “jealous” and “envious” sometime. =)
Kelvin, you make a very astute observation regarding “more or less.” I hadn’t thought of that!
I believe that the correct way would actually be “less people” and “fewer persons,” but I’m not 100% sure. As for “less than three,” it might be “fewer than three,” depending on what is being counted. Me? I would say “less than three people” and “fewer than three persons.” That’s my take on this. For the coffee – it would be “fewer than three cups of coffee” because the cups are being counted, not the coffee (the cups just happen to contain coffee).
Jealous and envious… hmm, I’ll have to think about that. Hehehe.
I, too, taught secondary English for years, but still need to check some of these words for proper usuage at times. Thank you for this post. Blessings Clella
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Thanks for visiting and commenting Clella! We all need to brush up every now and then.
I like your precise distinction … “countability.”
I also like the fact you asked which is correct. One of my teachers was a stickler on distinguishing between correct and right, where correct was accurate, while right was a moral term.
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Yes, I think that when choosing between fewer and less, it’s all about countability. That would be correct
We are counting on you to be accountable for countability!
Seems so straight forward but in fact using the correct or incorrect words in particular places can really affect your writing and what people think of it when they read it, whether it be a formal letter or a novel.
I agree, that’s why it pays to pay attention to the details!
I try to double-check grammar rules when writing my blog posts because the last thing I want to do is add to all the bad grammar that there is out there. The other day I used the word “funner” in a sentence when talking to my sister and she asked me whether “funner” is a proper word. I looked it up and apparently through common usage it has become acceptable. On the one hand,language needs to evolve, but on the other hand, I hope we don’t gradually destroy grammar rules through inadequate usage.
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Perhaps the biggest challenge in grammar is the way language is constantly evolving. The good news is that it gives us wiggle room. The bad news is that it creates a lot of confusion.