Less vs. Fewer
Once again we have an issue that springs from people just not realizing that words have specific meanings and uses and aren't just interchangeable. Less and fewer are two words that people use incorrectly all the time. The confusion is so widespread that mistakes even appear on professionally manufactured products. So why does this confusion exist and how are these words properly used?
Both less and fewer are used to indicate a diminished comparison of something, but they do it in different ways. The difference is very simple. Fewer is used when the quantity being discussed can be broken down into individual units; less is used when it can't.
"Example me, Mr. Tassie!" I hear you saying.
Okay, here are some examples:
People. You can count individual people, therefore, you use fewer. Fewer people attended Glen Beck's Rally to Restore Honour than attended Jon Stewart's Rally to Restore Sanity.
Air. You can't count air. You can measure it, and given sensitive enough equipment, you could count individual air molecules, but you don't count air, so you would use less. There is less air in the ocean than there is in the sky.
The biggest offenders out there are all the food products that claim to have "less calories." Wrong. Calories can be counted - that's the entire basis of the diet industry, therefore, if something has a lower calorie count than something else, you have to say fewer calories. Less fat, less salt, sure (you can't count individual fats and salts), but fewer calories.
Both less and fewer are used to indicate a diminished comparison of something, but they do it in different ways. The difference is very simple. Fewer is used when the quantity being discussed can be broken down into individual units; less is used when it can't.
"Example me, Mr. Tassie!" I hear you saying.
Okay, here are some examples:
People. You can count individual people, therefore, you use fewer. Fewer people attended Glen Beck's Rally to Restore Honour than attended Jon Stewart's Rally to Restore Sanity.
Air. You can't count air. You can measure it, and given sensitive enough equipment, you could count individual air molecules, but you don't count air, so you would use less. There is less air in the ocean than there is in the sky.
The biggest offenders out there are all the food products that claim to have "less calories." Wrong. Calories can be counted - that's the entire basis of the diet industry, therefore, if something has a lower calorie count than something else, you have to say fewer calories. Less fat, less salt, sure (you can't count individual fats and salts), but fewer calories.