the difference between fewer and less

Free grammar tips, lessons and tests			Recommended purchases
This site: Grammar Monster on line	Daily tips with Grammar Monster's gadget	Daily tips with Grammar Monster on Twitter	The best grammar reference books	Grammar Monster off line	The only grammar checker we'll endorse
Common grammar errors Easily confused words Grammar terms & definitions Grammar tests Grammar lessons Search this site

FEWER / LESS

Use 'less' when referring to a single item. Use 'fewer' when referring to more than one item.

Less and Fewer

Writers often misuse the words 'less' and 'fewer'. The word 'less' should be used for a single item (e.g., less time); whereas, 'fewer' should be used when there is more than one item (e.g., fewer mice).

Examples:

There is less cheese on this plate.

(cheese - singular)

There are fewer pieces of cheese on this plate.

(pieces - plural)

There are less pigeons in Trafalgar Square than there used to be.

In the future, there will be less coins in circulation.

Fewer people will vote in the forthcoming elections.

AMOUNT AND NUMBER

Like 'less', the words 'amount' should be used with a single item; whereas, the word 'number' should be used when there is more than one.

A large amount of people.

("people" - more than one person)

A large number of people.

At that stage, a huge amount of sugar and a vast number of chocolate buttons are poured in and stirred. There is a short wait and then a seemingly infinite number of chocolates whiz along the conveyer belt.

See the lesson Amount, quantity and number.

Associated lessons:

Are collective nouns singular or plural?
Singular or plural verbs after prepositional phrases (e.g. a box of tapes)