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One is for things you can count, the other is for things you cannot count.
Side-by-side comparison
"Few" is used with countable nouns: there are not many units of something. "Few people came" = not many people came. Without an article, it has a negative nuance.
I have a few friends in this city.
Only a few students passed the exam.
She speaks few languages fluently.
"Little" is used with uncountable nouns: there is not much of something. "Little time remains" = not much time is left. Without an article, it also has a negative nuance.
There is very little time left.
She put a little sugar in her coffee.
He has little patience for excuses.
Common mistake
- •"There is few milk" is wrong: "few" is only for plural countable nouns.
- •"Milk" is uncountable: use "little milk".
- •Reversed: "I have little books" is wrong because books are countable: use "few books".
Trick to remember it
- •Can you count the items one by one (books, friends, coins)? "Few".
- •Cannot count them individually (time, water, money, milk)? "Little".
Quick rule
- •Is the noun plural? "Few" (few books).
- •Is the noun uncountable and singular? "Little" (little time).
Did you know?
"A few" and "a little" (with the article) are positive or neutral: "I have a few friends" = some friends, fine. "I have a little time" = some time, manageable. Without the article, "few" and "little" are negative or pessimistic: "I have few friends" = almost no friends (implies loneliness). "I have little time" = very little time (implies pressure). The article "a" transforms the connotation entirely, just as in the few/a few pair you already know.
Practise what you learned
Exercise 1 · Pick the right one
There is very _____ sugar left. We need to buy more.
Exercise 2 · Pick the right one
Very _____ students passed the exam. Most of the class failed.
Exercise 3 · Form the word
Related word pairs
'How much' asks about uncountable nouns; 'how many' asks about countable nouns.
One reduces uncountable things, the other reduces countable things.
'Little' has negative meaning (almost none); 'a little' has positive meaning (some). Both only with uncountable nouns.
"Much" is used with uncountable nouns (things that cannot be counted individually); "many" is used with countable nouns in the plural.
Bryan López
Founder of SpeakUP Academy