Home/Common English Mistakes/Grammar/Quantifiers/When to use less and when to use fewer
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When to use less and when to use fewer

Less is used with uncountable nouns, but fewer is used with plural countable nouns.

  • I have fewer beer than he does.
    (uncountable noun/beer)
    I have less beer than he does.
  • I did fewer work than last week.
    I did less work than last week.
  • Ten items or less.
    (plural countable noun/items)
    Ten items or fewer.
  • There are less people in the lesson today.
    There are fewer people in the lesson today.
  • I have fewer bananas than you, but you have less juice then me.