RedPen Editing
Less versus fewer

Do you know when to use ‘fewer’ and when to use ‘less’?

The standard rule is to use ‘fewer’ for things you can count: people, animals, trees, items of clothing …

• Fewer people take sugar nowadays.
• Fewer animals are kept in zoos.
• Due to deforestation, there are fewer trees in some parts of the world.

… and when the noun is uncountable, ‘less’ is used.

• We had less rainfall this summer.
• I would like to spend less time working.

However, there are exceptions to this simple rule. Here is a better rule: apply ‘less’ for singular nouns and ‘fewer’ for plural nouns.

• The pennies are precious. We have fewer pennies.
• Money is short. We have less money.

Notice that ‘less’ is also used with adjectives and adverbs.

• I’m less broke than I was a year ago.
• I’m less likely to fail this exam if I revise enough.

‘Less’ is also usually used with units:

• It costs less than five pounds.
• We go on holiday in less than a fortnight.
• He can run a mile in less than four minutes.

Remember:

• Fewer mistakes
• Less editing