Fewer vs Less - Word Confusion Comparison

Quick Tip: Remember: Fewer is used with countable nouns (fewer apples, fewer people). Less is used with uncountable nouns (less water, less time).

Fewer

determiner

a smaller number of (used with countable nouns)

Examples:

There are fewer students in class today.
I have fewer books than you.
Fewer people attended the meeting this year.

Less

determiner

a smaller amount of (used with uncountable nouns)

Examples:

I have less time than I thought.
There is less water in the bottle.
She has less experience in this field.

adverb

to a smaller extent; not so much

Examples:

I like it less than I expected.
She works less now that she's retired.
The pain is less severe today.