What is the Difference Between Less and Fewer?

05/31/2025 • Maryella Faratro

The difference between "less" and "fewer" lies in their usage with countable and uncountable nouns. Here are the key points to remember:

Fewer is used with countable nouns, which can be easily enumerated, such as "fewer choices" or "fewer problems".
Less is used with uncountable nouns, which cannot be easily enumerated, such as "less time" or "less effort".

However, there are some exceptions to this rule. For example, even though money can be counted, it is often considered a bulk quantity and is typically used with "less". Some other cases where "less" is used with countable nouns include units of time and weight (e.g., "less than five years" and "less than ten ounces"), and statistical enumerations (e.g., "less than 50,000 people").

In general, it is recommended to use "fewer" with plural nouns and "less" with singular nouns. For instance, "I committed fewer mistakes" uses "fewer" because "mistakes" is a plural noun, while "I had less energy compared to everyone else" uses "less" because "energy" is a singular noun.

Comparative Table: Less vs Fewer

Here is a table highlighting the differences between "less" and "fewer":

Feature	Less	Fewer
Meaning	Refers to a smaller amount or degree	Refers to a smaller number of countable things
Usage	Used with uncountable nouns and singular countable nouns	Used with plural countable nouns
Comparative form	Comparative form of "little"	Comparative form of "few"
Examples	"less sugar," "less water"	"fewer people," "fewer apples"

In summary, "less" is used when referring to a smaller amount or degree, while "fewer" is used when referring to a smaller number of countable things.