Fewer vs Less: Which One Do You Need?
Fewer is for things you can count. Less is for amounts you cannot.
Fewer cars. Less traffic.
The test that settles it
Try to put a number in front of the noun. If three of them makes sense, use fewer. If it does not, use less.
“___ chairs” → three chairs works, so fewer.
“___ furniture” → three furniture does not, so less.
Fewer: countable nouns
Use it for separate items that can be counted one by one. The noun after it is plural.
Fewer people came than last year.
There were fewer mistakes in the second draft.
She made fewer trips this month.
Is the noun plural and countable? Then fewer.
Less: uncountable nouns
Use it for a mass or quantity that is not divided into units. The noun after it is singular.
We used less water this quarter.
There is less interest in the scheme now.
Try to spend less money.
Is the noun singular and a mass? Then less.
Side by side
| Fewer | Less |
|---|---|
| Countable | Uncountable |
| Plural noun follows | Singular noun follows |
| Can be numbered | Cannot be numbered |
| Fewer coins | Less money |
The exceptions
These take less even though the nouns look countable, because they are treated as a single quantity.
Less than three weeks. Less than fifty pounds. Less than ten miles.
Fewer than three weeks is not wrong, but it sounds odd to most ears.
“Ten items or less” is the most argued-about sign in English. Items are countable, so fewer is the careful choice — but the phrase is so fixed that most style guides have stopped fighting it.
Where people get it wrong
| Incorrect | Correct | Why |
|---|---|---|
| There were less people this time. | There were fewer people this time. | People can be counted. |
| We need fewer noise. | We need less noise. | Noise is a mass, not units. |
| fewer than 10% of respondents | less than 10% of respondents | A percentage is a proportion, so a quantity. |
| Use less nails. | Use fewer nails. | Nails are countable. |
Practice — choose the right word, then check yourself.
- There is ___ rain in August.
- ___ students enrolled this term.
- It took ___ than two hours.
- He made ___ errors than usual.
- We have ___ storage than before.
Show the answers
1. less 2. Fewer 3. less 4. fewer 5. less
Frequently asked
Is less with countables actually a mistake?
It is very common in speech and centuries old, but it is still corrected in edited writing. Use fewer where the noun is countable and you will never be wrong.
What about fewer vs lesser?
Lesser means smaller in importance, not in number: the lesser of two evils.
More words people confuse
