Less or fewer?

Do you know the difference?

Below is a transcript of the video.

Hi, 

I’m Dr Clare Lynch of the Doris and Bertie writing school and I’m on a mission to help you become a better, more confident writer. 

Today on the channel, “Fewer or less?” Which should you use and when?

Now, this is a grammar issue that many grammar fiends get very, very cross about.

People will post huge long rants about seeing a sign saying “Five items or less” in their local Tesco’s supermarket because apparently there’s a rule that says less is wrong here, and that it should actually read “Five items or fewer”.

Now, interestingly, this “rule” was only invented in the 18th century by an amateur linguist called Robert Baker.

If Robert Baker were around today he’d tell you that “Five items or fewer” simply sounds better to his ears than “Five items or less”.

So - not that five items or less is wrong...

or grammatically incorrect...

or even more natural sounding to most of us…

but that “Five items or fewer” would have been Robert Baker’s personal preference.

Still, many people do still like to observe a difference between less and fewer, but, equally, many people use them today interchangeably.

So, if you care about what grammar fiends think, let’s take a look at the difference that not everyone....

but careful writers — and I will admit it, that does include me —

tend to observe between fewer and less. 

THE DIFFERENCE

To understand the difference between ‘fewer’ and ‘less’ you first need to know what countable and uncountable nouns are.

If you don’t, check out my last video on uncountable nouns and then pop back here.. 

Done that? Great! 

Now you know what countable and uncountable nouns are, the difference between fewer and less is simply that . . .

Fewer is used with countable nouns, 

and less with uncountable nouns. 

For example:

“I have fewer apples than I need for the recipe.”   

Apples is countable - you can count the number of apples sitting on the table.

And so you should, technically, if you are in Robert Baker’s camp…

only say fewer apples, not less apples.

Although of course, many, many people don’t share Robert Baker’s preference!

Anyway, let’s compare that with: 

“I have less rice than you do.”    

But rice is uncountable - we generally wouldn’t say “three rices”, unless we’re being really quite colloquial.

We’d talk of grains of rice or bowls of rice.

So it’s fine, according to the Baker-ites of the world, to use less here.

Interestingly, I don’t think anyone would ever say “fewer rice” here -

that just sounds odd to everyone’s ears. 

Now, there are other instances where the distinction between less and fewer is less clear cut, and where there may be exceptions to this rule that even grammar fiends may accept.

But that’s for another day.

Or maybe the online course I’m in the process of making and which I talked about in my last video.

By the way, let me know in the comments if you like the sound of a course on advanced grammar tips for English language learners!

Let me know in the comments, too, if you found this video helpful!

And what you think of the distinction between fewer and less.

Are you on Team Tesco - and happy to say “Five items or less”?

Or are you on team Robert Baker - such that “Five items or less” sounds hideous to your ears?

Post cover image credit: Simone Hutsch

For more writing advice, enrol in my online course, Writing With Confidence, available at the Doris and Bertie Writing School.

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