Fewer

Fewer is a determiner and adjective used to indicate a smaller number of items that can be counted individually. It is the comparative form of few and is used with countable nouns. The word derives from Old English feawa or fawe, related to the idea of a small number.

Usage guidelines: Use fewer with count nouns: there were fewer apples, cars, or opportunities. Use less with mass nouns or uncountable quantities: less water, less sand, less time, or less money. When quantities are expressed by numbers, apply the countable rule: fewer than ten students; fewer than 50 pages. In time, distance, weight, and money, less is common in everyday use, but many editors prefer fewer when the quantity is made up of discrete units (fewer minutes, fewer dollars).

Notes on usage: The term is often misused in casual speech; less is used with countable nouns in some dialects, but the preferred form in formal writing is fewer for count nouns and less for noncount nouns. A few contrasts: a few means some; few emphasizes a small or dwindling number. Most modern style guides advise using fewer with count nouns and less with mass or abstract quantities.

See also: less, few, a few, count noun, noncount noun.