People are often confused between the words Less and fewer. They often mistakenly do the wrong usage of these words in their communication. Let us see the difference between less and fewer.
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Less vs Fewer – Difference
The following table shows the difference between less and fewer.
| Less | Fewer |
| It is used in the sense of ‘a smaller amount of‘ before a singular, uncountable noun as an adjective (a determiner) to denote quantity. Example- There is less sugar in your coffee than in mine. | It is used in the sense of ‘not as many as‘ before a plural countable noun as an adjective (a determiner) to denote a number. Example- There are fewer girls in the mechanical engineering branch than in the computer engineering branch. |
| It is also used in the sense of ‘a smaller amount of‘ as a pronoun. Example- They have less to worry about now. | It is also used in the sense of ‘not as many as‘ as a pronoun. Example- Fewer than ten candidates qualified for the national-level examination. |
| It is also used in the sense of ‘to a smaller degree‘ or ‘not too much‘ as an adverb. Example- She is less intelligent. This gold ring is less expensive. He reads much less now than I used to. | ———– |
| It is also used in the sense of ‘before a particular amount that must be taken away from the amount just mentioned (or mathematically used term is ‘minus’)‘ as a preposition. Example- Monthly rent of $1050 less tax and insurance. | ———– |
‘Less’ in a sentence
- She had less money than she thought.
- He wished he had less work to do.
- She ate less food than usual.
- The company made less profit last year.
- She has less patience with children.
- He has less hair now than he did before.
- The city has less pollution now than it did 20 years ago.
- She knows less about cars than her husband does.
- He has less time to spend with his family now that he has a new job.
- The movie was less interesting than the book.
- She is less worried about her exams now that she has studied more.
- He has less energy now that he is older.
- He has less experience in the field than his colleague.
- She has less enthusiasm for her job now than she did in the beginning.
- He has less interest in sports now than he was younger.
- She has less confidence in herself than she used to.
‘Fewer’ in a Sentence
- She has fewer friends now than she did in high school.
- He has fewer responsibilities at his new job.
- The store has fewer customers today than it did yesterday.
- She ate fewer cookies than she planned to.
- He has fewer grey hairs than his father.
- The company has fewer employees now than it did last year.
- She has fewer clothes in her closet than her sister does.
- He has fewer chances to see his family now that he lives far away.
- The city has fewer traffic jams now than it did a few years ago.
- She has fewer hobbies now than she did when she was younger.
- He has fewer books on his shelves now than he did before.
- The movie had fewer special effects than the book.
- She has fewer fears now that she has faced them.
- He has fewer allergies now that he has gotten older.
- The company has fewer resources now due to budget cuts.
- She has fewer clothes than she did before she moved.
- He has fewer toys now that he has grown up.
- The town has fewer restaurants than the city.
- She has fewer cooking skills than her sister.
- He has fewer qualifications than the other job applicants.
- The restaurant has fewer menu options than it did last year.
- She has fewer interests now than she did in the past.
- He has fewer hobbies now than he did when he was a teenager.
- The museum has fewer exhibits on display this month than last.
- She has fewer doubts about her abilities now than she used to.
