Fewer and Less
What's the difference?
Both are often used in comparatives of minority
The comparative of minority in English is formed using the word "less" and "Fewer".Here are the key points:
- To express a lesser degree of an adjective, you place "less" before the adjective (e.g., "less important").
- This structure is valid for all types of adjectives, regardless of the number of syllables.
- For example, you might say, "This task is less difficult than that one".
- This grammatical structure allows you to compare two elements by indicating that one has a lesser quality than the other.
There are some exceptions
Money, time, distance, weight
less than 10 euros less than 5 minutes less than 20 kilometers less than 3 kilos
Basic rules
Fewer → used with countable nouns (things you can count)Less → used with uncountable nouns (things you cannot count)
Example: There are fewer cars today. I have less time today.
Fewer and Less
Davide Luzi
Created on February 11, 2026
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Transcript
Fewer and Less
What's the difference?
Both are often used in comparatives of minority
The comparative of minority in English is formed using the word "less" and "Fewer".Here are the key points:
There are some exceptions
Money, time, distance, weight
less than 10 euros less than 5 minutes less than 20 kilometers less than 3 kilos
Basic rules
Fewer → used with countable nouns (things you can count)Less → used with uncountable nouns (things you cannot count)
Example: There are fewer cars today. I have less time today.