In English, it’s common to come across words that have similar phonetics and spelling, which can lead to confusion, particularly in academic writing. These commonly confused words have multitudes of purposes and meanings, making it crucial to choose the right one for clear and effective communication. A notable example of this is the distinction between “fewer” and “less.”
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Definition of “fewer” vs. “less”
The words “fewer” and “less” are both adjectives that describe countable and non-countable nouns. They are both used to indicate a smaller quantity of something, and both serve as the opposite of the comparative adjective “more.” These similarities heighten the possible confusion that may arise when using one or the other.
However, the distinction between them is that “fewer” is used when referring to countable objects that can be individually counted. Whereas “less” is used for uncountable nouns, which refer to things that cannot be counted individually, such as abstract qualities, liquids, and bulk quantities.
Fewer
… is an adjective that is used to indicate a smaller amount of countable nouns.
Less
…is an adjective that is used to indicate a smaller amount of uncountable nouns.
Due to their similar meaning, the words “fewer” and “less” are one of the most commonly confused words. The key to differentiating between them lies in understanding the specific context in which it is supposed to be used. If the noun is possible to count, the correct word is “fewer.” If the noun is uncountable, the correct word is “less.”
Using the word “fewer”
The word “fewer” is used as an adjective and means “not as many.” How it is applied in a sentence will be explained in the examples below.
Examples
- I decided to eat fewer cookies this week to stick to my healthy eating plan.
- In the digital age, fewer people are purchasing physical newspapers.
- The company decided to hire fewer employees this year.
Tip for using “fewer“ correctly
Synonyms for “fewer” avoid repetition and redundancy and strengthen your language overall. Utilizing them makes writing more diverse and adds nuance to a language. While there can be many synonyms for “fewer,” they all depend on the context in which they are used, such as “smaller number of,” “reduced quantity of,” or “diminished amount of.” Which is why we decided to stick with a synonym that can be used in all contexts to replace “fewer.”
| Synonyms | Examples |
| Not as many | The bakery produced fewer cupcakes this week due to a shortage of ingredients. |
| The bakery produced cupcakes this week due to a shortage of ingredients. |
Using the word “less”
The word “less” is used as an adjective and means “not as much.” The application of it in a sentence will be outlined below, accompanied by examples.
Examples
- She decided to use less sugar in her coffee to reduce her daily calories.
- After the rain, there was less traffic on the roads as many people stayed inside.
- He felt less stressed after implementing a daily meditation routine.
Tips for using “less”
Including synonyms for “less” can enhance writing, prevent redundancy, and add variety. Similar to “fewer,” there are several alternatives that each depend on the context in which they are used, to replace “less.” For this reason and to avoid confusion, we have decided to stick to one that can always be used.
| Synonyms | Examples |
| Not as much | Since starting her new job, she had less time to dedicate to her hobbies. |
| Since starting her new job, she had not as much time to dedicate to her hobbies. |
Despite these rules, it might be tricky to determine whether the nouns are countable or not. There are instances where “less” is preferred, such as money, time, weight, and percentages.
Test yourself!
Practice sheet
To improve your ability to differentiate between “fewer” and “less”, fill in the blanks in the given sentences. The correct answers can be found on the second tab.
- Thanks for the help, now I have one _____ thing to worry about.
- Due to budget cuts, there were _____ extracurricular activities available.
- The environmental campaign led to _____ pollution in the river.
- She experiences _____ headaches after reducing her screen time.
- The new regulations resulted in _____ waste being produced.
- The school cafeteria served _____ portions of fried food to promote health.
- The strict diet led to _____ weight gain over the holiday season.
- After the renovation, there were _____ cracks in the walls of the old house.
- During the winter months, there were _____ tourists visiting the beach towns.
- The new policy led to _____ errors in the company’s accounting records.
- Thanks for the help, now I have one less thing to worry about.
- Due to budget cuts, there were fewer extracurricular activities available.
- The environmental campaign led to less pollution in the river.
- She experiences fewer headaches after reducing her screen time.
- The new regulations resulted in less waste being produced.
- The school cafeteria served fewer portions of fried food to promote health.
- The strict diet led to less weight gain over the holiday season.
- After the renovation, there were fewer cracks in the walls of the old house.
- During the winter months, there were fewer tourists visiting the beach towns.
- The new policy led to fewer errors in the company’s accounting records.
FAQs
“Fewer” is used with countable nouns, indicating a smaller number of individual items or people. It can be replaced with “not as many.” “Less” on the other hand, is used with uncountable nouns, indicating a smaller amount of quantity. It can be substituted with “not as much.”
“Little” is used with uncountable nouns that are in the singular form. “Fewer” is used with countable nouns that are in the plural form.
Examples
- There is little milk left in the fridge.
- There are fewer apples on the tree this year.
It is “less money.” “Money” is an uncountable noun, so we use “less” rather than “fewer.”
It is “fewer people.” “People” is a countable noun, so we use “fewer” rather than “less.”
