---
title: Less vs. Fewer
pubDate: 2026-08-17T09:53:44.266Z
antora:
  editUrl: https://github.com/couchbaselabs/docs-style-guide/edit/main/styleguide/modules/ROOT/pages/less-fewer.adoc
  xref: xref:styleguide::less-fewer.adoc[]
---

[Consult the llms.txt file for a full list of contents](/llms.txt)
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# Less vs. Fewer

Use **less** for uncountable or mass nouns.

Use **fewer** for nouns that you can count.

## [](#less)Less

Use **less** for quantities that are measured rather than counted:

* Less time
* Less effort

You cannot count effort or time (without using units like minutes or hours), so use **less**.

However, there are exceptions:

* Use less for distances (less than 3 kilometers)
* Use less for sums of money (less than 50 dollars)
* Use less for units of time and weight (less than 7 years, less than 10 pounds)
* Use less for statistics (less than 2,000 people)

## [](#fewer)Fewer

Use **fewer** for things that can be counted or have a number attached to them:

* Fewer databases
* Fewer indexes
* Fewer status updates

You can count the number of databases, indexes, or status updates, so use **fewer**.