Less vs. Fewer

People often mix up less and fewer, but one simple rule helps you get it right.

Fewer

Fewer is used with countable nouns: things you can count one by one.

• There were fewer people at the event this year.
• I drank fewer cups of coffee today.
• We need fewer distractions during meetings.

If you can count the items individually (books, apples, mistakes), use fewer.

Less

Less is used with uncountable nouns: things you can't count one by one, like time, money, or water.

• Try to spend less time on social media.
• There's less sugar in this recipe.
• We have less money this month.

Use less for things that are seen as a whole or in amounts, not separate items.