Short answer: Use fewer with countable nouns (things you can count one by one). Use less with uncountable nouns (amounts, not individual things).
Countable vs. uncountable
| Use | With | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| fewer | countable plural nouns | fewer cars, fewer mistakes, fewer people, fewer calories |
| less | uncountable nouns | less water, less traffic, less time, less sugar |
There are fewer cars on the road today. There is less traffic today. Both sentences say the same thing, but cars are countable and traffic is not.
Exceptions
- Time, money, distance and weight as a total amount take less: less than 10 minutes, less than $30,000, less than five miles.
- Supermarket signs: “10 items or less” is common, but “10 items or fewer” is the grammatically correct version because items are countable.
- Fewer than a number of things: fewer than 100 words counts the words one by one, though less than 100 words is widely used.
Quick test
Ask: can I put a number in front of the noun? Two cars works, so use fewer. Two waters (meaning the substance) does not, so use less.
Common mistakes
- Less people came than expected. People are countable: Fewer people came than expected.
- I have fewer time. Time is uncountable: I have less time.
Take the fewer vs. less quiz
1.There are ___ cars on the road today.
Cars are countable, so use fewer.
2.I drink ___ coffee than I used to.
Coffee, as a drink, is uncountable here: less.
3.The store has ___ customers on weekdays.
Customers are countable: fewer.
4.We have ___ time than we thought.
Time is uncountable: less.
5.___ people attended the event than expected.
People are countable: Fewer.
6.Which sign is grammatically correct?
Items are countable, so "10 items or fewer" is the grammatically correct form.
7.She earns ___ than $30,000 a year.
Sums of money are treated as a single amount: less than.
8.There was ___ rain this year.
Rain is uncountable: less.
9.Which sentence is correct?
Water is uncountable, so use less.
10.He made ___ mistakes on this test than on the last one.
Mistakes are countable: fewer.
Frequently asked questions
What is the rule for fewer and less?
Use fewer with countable plural nouns and less with uncountable nouns.
Is '10 items or less' wrong?
It is very common, but strictly it should be '10 items or fewer' because items are countable.
Do I use less than or fewer than with numbers?
Use less than for amounts of money, time, distance and weight, and fewer than for countable items.
