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Small, little, or tiny
Small is the neutral word for size, little adds feeling and usually goes before a noun, and tiny means very small.
Quick rule
Just size, or after a verb? Small. Before a noun, with some feeling? Little. Very small? Tiny.
The neutral word for size or amount. It works before a noun or after a verb: a small room, the room is small.
Small, usually before a noun and often with some feeling: a little boy, a nice little town.
Very small: a tiny baby, a tiny bit.
How to choose
| Question | small | little | tiny |
|---|---|---|---|
| Does it work after a verb (The room is ___)? | Yes | SometimesSometimes | Yes |
| Does it mean very small, more than small? | No | No | Yes |
| Can it mean younger (my ___ sister)? | No | Yes | No |
Why it trips people up
Small is the neutral size word and works anywhere in the sentence. Little usually sits before a noun and often carries feeling: affection, sympathy, or even scorn. Tiny is simply stronger than small: very small.
How each one works
Small
After a verb
This shirt is too small for me.
A small amount
We only need a small amount of sugar.
Clothing size
Do you have this in small?
Little
With feeling: lovely little
They live in a lovely little house.
Younger: little sister
My little sister is eight.
Short: a little while
Wait a little while.
Tiny
Very small
The baby has tiny fingers.
Stressing how small
Our apartment has a tiny kitchen.
A tiny bit: very slightly
I'm a tiny bit nervous.
What comes next
be plus small
The print is too small to read.
adjective plus little plus noun
We stayed in a quiet little village.
a tiny plus noun
There's a tiny hole in my sock.
Set phrases
Small
- small talk
- polite chat about unimportant things, like the weather
- it's a small world
- said when you meet someone you know in an unexpected place
- feel small
- to feel stupid, weak, or ashamed, often because of what someone said
Little
- little by little
- slowly, a bit at a time
Tiny
- a tiny bit
- very slightly
Almost the same
They have a small house.
Just the size.
They have a lovely little house.
Size, with warmth.
They have a tiny house.
Very small, almost surprising.
In a conversation
- A:
How's your new apartment?
- B:
It's small, but I love it.
- A:
Do you have room for guests?
- B:
There's only a tiny sofa. It's a cozy little place.
Common mistakes
Wrong: This box is littler than that one.
Right: This box is smaller than that one.
Oxford notes that littler and littlest are rare: smaller and smallest are the usual forms.
Wrong: The kitchen is little, so we eat in the living room.
Right: The kitchen is small, so we eat in the living room.
Oxford marks little as usually coming before a noun. To describe size after a verb, with no special feeling, small is the natural word.
Memory trick
Small measures. Little feels: it sits before the noun and adds warmth (my little girl). Tiny exaggerates: smaller than small.
It depends
- Little after a verb
- After a verb, little does show up when there is feeling in it (She's still so little!). For a plain description of size, small is the neutral choice.
FAQ
Small or little: what is the difference?
Small is neutral and works anywhere. Little usually comes before a noun and adds feeling, as Cambridge notes: a lovely little café.
Tiny or small?
Tiny is stronger: very small. A small room is fine for one person; a tiny room barely fits a bed.