A few and a little both mean "some, but not much". The difference is the noun that follows. A few goes with countable plurals: a few apples, a few friends, a few minutes. A little goes with uncountable nouns: a little water, a little time, a little advice.
Both phrases carry a positive feeling. "I have a few friends here" means the number is small but enough to be happy about. "There is a little milk" means the amount is small but there is still enough for tea.
The small word a does a lot of work, and its absence changes the meaning completely. This page covers a few and a little; their negative twins, few and little, have their own page. The drill has 20 questions with a rule explanation under every answer.
The rule
The countable and uncountable test
- Countable nouns can take a number: one ticket, two tickets. They have a plural form.
- Uncountable nouns cannot take a number: water, rice, advice, information, money. They have no plural.
- A few goes with countable plurals: a few tickets, a few questions, a few days.
- A little goes with uncountable nouns: a little water, a little help, a little time.
The meaning is positive: small but enough
- "A few" means a small number, and usually enough for the situation: "We have a few minutes, so let us have a coffee."
- "A little" means a small amount, and usually enough: "There is a little milk, so we can have tea."
- The phrase is good news. The speaker is not complaining about the size.
- Compare the twins without a: few and little mean "not enough" and carry a complaint. That is the next lesson.
Where the phrases sit in a sentence
- Before a noun: a few friends, a little sugar.
- Alone, when the noun is already known: "Would you like some biscuits?" "Yes, a few, thank you."
- With only: "only a few people came" means the number was small, and the feeling may be neutral or disappointed.
- With quite: "quite a few people came" means a surprisingly large number. Quite a little is much rarer.
Questions and negatives
- In questions, a few and a little suggest the answer is probably yes: "Would you like a little cake?"
- In negatives, they still work: "I have not had a little luck" is unusual; the natural negative uses any: "I have not had any luck."
- For a negative amount, use much or many: "not much time", "not many tickets".
- A few and a little are positive or neutral. The negative twins few and little do the complaining.
Common nouns for each
- With a few: people, friends, questions, tickets, days, minutes, books, mistakes.
- With a little: water, milk, sugar, salt, time, money, advice, help, luck, noise.
- Some nouns can be both, with a change of meaning: "a few hairs" (threads) and "a little hair" (a mass).
- When in doubt, try to put a number in front. If one, two, three works, use a few.
Examples
- I have a few friends in Berlin.Friends is countable and plural, so a few fits.
- There is a little milk in the fridge.Milk is uncountable, so a little fits.
- We need a few eggs for the cake.Eggs is a countable plural, and the number is small but enough.
- She has a little patience with the class.Patience is uncountable.
- A few people were waiting at the bus stop.People is a countable plural, and a few starts the sentence.
- Can I have a little sugar in my coffee?Sugar is uncountable, so a little is correct.
- We have a few minutes before the train.Minutes are countable, and a few means enough time for now.
- There is a little cheese left.Cheese is uncountable.
- I know a few good restaurants here.Restaurants is a countable plural.
- She gave me a little advice about the trip.Advice is uncountable in English, so it takes a little.
Common mistakes
- Wrong: I have a little friends in Berlin. Right: I have a few friends in Berlin.
- Friends is a countable plural, so it takes a few, not a little.
- Wrong: There is a few milk in the fridge. Right: There is a little milk in the fridge.
- Milk is uncountable, so it takes a little.
- Wrong: We need a little eggs for the cake. Right: We need a few eggs for the cake.
- Eggs is countable and plural. Countable plurals take a few.
- Wrong: She gave me a few advice. Right: She gave me a little advice.
- Advice is uncountable in English. It cannot take a plural or a few.
- Wrong: Only a few water is left. Right: Only a little water is left.
- Water is uncountable, so the amount takes a little.
Practice drill
Answer all 20 questions. Each answer is marked at once, and the rule is explained under the question.
I have ___ friends in Berlin.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: A. a few Friends is a countable plural, so a few is correct.
There is ___ milk in the fridge.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: B. a little Milk is uncountable, so the small amount takes a little.
We need ___ eggs for the cake.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: C. a few Eggs is a countable plural, so a few fits.
She has ___ patience with this class.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: D. a little Patience is uncountable, so the phrase is a little.
___ people were waiting at the bus stop.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: A. A few People is a countable plural, and a few starts the sentence.
Can I have ___ sugar in my coffee?
Show answer and explanation
Answer: B. a little Sugar is uncountable, so a little is correct, even in this polite request.
He speaks ___ Spanish.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: C. a little A language treated as an amount takes a little: a little Spanish.
We have ___ minutes before the train.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: D. a few Minutes is a countable plural, so a few is correct.
There is ___ cheese left.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: A. a little Cheese is uncountable, so the remaining amount takes a little.
I know ___ good restaurants here.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: B. a few Restaurants is a countable plural, so a few fits.
She gave me ___ advice about the trip.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: C. a little Advice is uncountable in English, so it takes a little.
___ students passed with full marks.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: D. A few Students is a countable plural, so a few begins the sentence.
Add ___ salt to the soup.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: A. a little Salt is uncountable, so a little is correct.
I will be away for ___ days.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: B. a few Days is a countable plural, so a few fits.
There was ___ noise outside.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: C. a little Noise is uncountable, so the small amount takes a little.
He made ___ mistakes in the essay.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: D. a few Mistakes is a countable plural, so a few is correct.
I have ___ time this afternoon.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: A. a little Time is uncountable, so the small amount takes a little.
___ tickets are still available.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: B. A few Tickets is a countable plural, so a few begins the sentence.
We had ___ rain last night.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: C. a little Rain is uncountable, so a little is correct.
She bought ___ new dresses.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: D. a few Dresses is a countable plural, so a few fits.
Questions learners ask
What is the difference between "a few" and "few"?
The article a changes the feeling. "I have a few friends here" is positive: the number is small but enough. "I have few friends here" is negative: the number is small and not enough, and the speaker sounds lonely. The same contrast works with a little and little.
Can "a few" and "a little" be used without a noun?
Yes, when the noun is already clear: "Do you have any questions?" "A few." "Would you like some water?" "Just a little, please." The phrase stands alone and the listener supplies the noun from the context.
Why is "quite a few" a large number?
English understatement. Quite a few literally looks small, but the phrase means "more than expected, a fair number". "Quite a few people came" means the room was surprisingly full. The same phrase cannot be made negative: "quite few" does not work in the same way.
More in Articles and nouns
Few vs little: not enough
Without the little word a, both phrases turn negative: few things and little stuff are not enough.
Too much vs too many: countable and uncountable
Too much takes uncountable nouns such as water and time. Too many takes countable plural nouns such as books and people. Enough goes after an adjective and before a noun.
Each vs every: one by one or all together
Each sees the members of a group one by one. Every sees the whole group together. Both take a singular noun and a singular verb.
Related words and idioms
Fewer vs less
Fewer goes with plural countable nouns, like fewer cars. Less goes with uncountable nouns and measurements, like less traffic.
Peace vs piece
Peace means calm, quiet and no fighting. Piece means a part or portion of something.
Spill the beans
To spill the beans is to tell a secret, usually before you are supposed to or without meaning to.
More grammar topics
A vs an: choose by sound
Choose a before a consonant sound and an before a vowel sound. Spelling is not the test; your ears are.
The or no article: general and specific
The points to one specific thing. No article speaks about things in general. The difference changes the meaning of a sentence.
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