Question 1

Is it "10 items or less" or "10 items or fewer"?

Accepted Answer

Grammatically, "10 items or fewer." Items are countable, so they take fewer. Supermarkets have used "10 items or less" for decades, which is why it sounds natural — but the strict rule asks for fewer whenever the noun is countable. If you are writing for a careful reader, go with "fewer." If you are writing a supermarket sign, the world has mostly given up. Tesco famously changed its express-lane signs from 10 items or less to up to 10 items in 2008 after a long public campaign led by the Plain English Society — a rare case where a grammar debate made national news. Most US chains have kept the or less wording. Exception: Numbers used as single measurements take less (less than 10 miles, less than $50) because the number behaves like a continuous amount, not a count of individual things.

Question 2

When do I use "fewer"?

Accepted Answer

Use fewer for things you can count: fewer chairs, fewer errors, fewer hours logged.

Question 3

When do I use "less"?

Accepted Answer

Use less for amounts you measure rather than count: less water, less noise, less patience.

Question 4

Is it "less people" or "fewer people"?

Accepted Answer

"Fewer people." People are countable, so the correct word is fewer.

Question 5

Is it "less calories" or "fewer calories"?

Accepted Answer

"Fewer calories." A calorie is a unit you can count, so the right word is fewer.