By Judy Vorfeld
Ever heard that it’s wrong to say, “Less than 50 people took part in the poll,” and that “Fewer” is the proper word? How can we tell which is right?
“Fewer” should be used with a plural noun that describes a group of individual items that can be counted. Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary says to use “fewer” as it relates to a smaller number of persons or things.
Regarding “less,” it says, “The traditional view is that less applies to matters of degree, value, or amount,” but it doesn’t say you can’t use “less” with numbers.
Generally, use “less” with a singular noun that defines something that can’t be broken up into countable parts.
Other sources say: use “fewer” for things you count (individually), and “less” for things you measure.
Incorrect: Less than 25 people attended the event.
Correct: Fewer than 25 people attended the event.
Incorrect: The bill will be lower if we use fewer water.
Correct: The bill will be lower if we use less water.
“less” vs “fewer” by Mark Israel
Scriptorium says: Use fewer when referring to specific numbers and measurements, and use less when referring to general amounts.
Examples:
a. If a customer orders fewer than 10 CDs but more than five, the customer receives a free CD. NOT: If a customer orders less than 10 CDs …
b. It takes less time to fill orders when your company uses our application
