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 grammar topics
Few vs little: not enough
Without the little word a, both phrases turn negative: few things and little stuff are not enough.
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.
Take the free A1 to C2 level test to find your starting point.