Few and a few use the exact same word, but one small article changes the meaning from almost none to some.
Few means not many, and it sounds like a small, disappointing number.
few full definition →
A few means some, a small number, but it doesn't sound negative.
a few full definition →
| few | a few | |
|---|---|---|
| Feeling | Negative, almost none | Neutral or positive, some |
| Same sentence, different word | "Few people came" sounds disappointing | "A few people came" sounds fine |
| Simple test | Would you complain about the number? | Are you just stating a small number? |
Few sounds negative, almost none. A few sounds neutral, just a small number. The little word "a" changes the whole feeling.
Save both words to GoVocab and review them until they stick.
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