Is it ‘fewer’ or ‘less’?
Fewer and less seem simple enough. Until you’re halfway through the report you’re writing and suddenly start questioning which one you’re supposed to use.
They’re two of those tiny words that seem interchangeable, but they mean different things. Fortunately, the easiest way to remember which one you need starts with your fingers.
What’s the difference between less and fewer?
Let’s smash this out. Actually, it’s more like count it out…
It’s based on the assumption that you have a hand with five pokey appendages. I’m including the thumb as one of those five fingers. Go with it.
How to use fewer
Fewer is for countable things. You can count a specific number of those things.
Example 1: She may be buzzing her face off, but Bernadette’s drunk fewer cups of coffee today than usual.
Example 2: I bought fewer matching Lycra outfits for my aerobics classes than I’d planned because I only buy second-hand clothes.
Example 3: The Girls Aloud song Something Kinda Ooooh has fewer beats per minute than Bonnie Tyler’s Holding Out for a Hero.
Let’s break those down…
In example 1: You can count the cups of coffee.
In example 2: You can count the matching Lycra ensembles I’ve bought.
In example 3: You can count the beats per minute.
How to remember fewer
► Fewer can be counted on your fingers.
► Fewer and fingers both begin with an F.
► Fewer has five letters and hands have five fingers. (See!)
How to use less
Less is for uncountable stuff when there’s not as much of it knocking around.
Example 1: She may be buzzing off her face, but Bernadette’s drunk less coffee today than usual.
Example 2: There’s less space in my wardrobe because I’ve crammed in a couple of new shellsuit bottoms.
Example 3: I do less work at my desk now I’m sweating it out to Girls Aloud and Bonnie Tyler.
So for those…
In example 1: You can’t count liquid. This one’s about the caffeine elixir itself. In the fewer example it was all about the countable cups of coffee.
In example 2: You can’t count space. (Although you can roll up shellsuit bottoms smaller than you think.)
In example 3: You can’t count work. And take this as a sign to have a little break from yours. Go shake it out and shake it off.
How to remember less
I’ve got two options for you.
► The ‘ss’ in less stands for small stuff. You can’t easily count grains of sand or salt or sugar.
► The ‘ss’ in less stands for sloppy stuff. You can’t count coffee or soup or sweat or chicken chasseur. (Such a 1993 sachet flashback)
You can count on an exception to the rule
Less is also used for measurements and quantities of countable things that behave as a single amount rather than individual ones:
Time: I’ll be a qualified aerobics instructor in less than three months.
Money: I prefer to spend less than five quid on second-hand cycling shorts.
Distance: I drove just less than seven miles to pick up the collection-only shellsuit bottoms.
Fewer issues
It’s only one word, but that one word can subtly change the meaning of a sentence. Choosing the right one means your writing does exactly what you intended.
If fewer and less isn’t the only pair that gets you tangled, I’ve smoothed out a few more:
Those will keep you busy while your chasseur is simmering.
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