What is the difference between few, a few and little?

Question

What is the difference between few, a few and little?

Answer 1

'Few' and 'little', mean 'no'! 'A few' means a small quantity! Example:  ron has few friends -- ron has no friends! ron spends little time with books -- ron spends no time with books! ron has a few good habits -- ron has a small number of good habits!

Answer 2

Few and a few are used before Countable Noun.

1) I have few dollars.

There is not really a noticeable difference.

But 'a few' is used to stress on the least quantity.

2) I have a few dollars.

'Little' is used before Uncountable Noun.

3) I have little money.

4) I have little juice.

Like 'a few' we can also use 'a little'.

5) I have a little juice.

Answer 3

little is a mass now... cant be counted...

few is a mass noun too...

but when you fut "a"

it will be a count noun...

Answer 4

There is little to choose between them in some instances, however one has to careful in their use.

I can think of a few examples to show you how to use these words.

Rosie is Bob's little sister - here 'little' describes, size and/or age of Rosie.

You cannot use few or a few in the same way.

The occurrence of snow in the UK in July is few and far between ( meaning 'rare').

There are few people living in our street. Means there are not many.

There are a few people living in our street - widens out the size considerably - could mean that there really are quite a large number of people - it is a nondescript word of

size/number.

We live in little street means it is a small street.

Hope that this has helped, rather than confused.

Answer 5

'A FEW' is the amount of something, usually about three or four of an object. 'LITTLE' means that something is small, or 'A LITTLE' means a small amount of something, but this is not very specific in describing the amount of something. 'A FEW' doesn't necessarily mean about three to four of something - it could just mean a small amount of something, though not just one of something. 'FEW' is almost like 'A FEW' but it is not really as specific is describing the amount of something, like 'few people have heard...' is not as specific as 'Only a few people heard about the incident...'.