Understanding the difference between countable and uncountable nouns

What are countable nouns?

By definition, a countable noun is one that has ‘both singular and plural forms and names something that can be counted when there is more than one of it.’¹ Countable nouns are sometimes referred to as ‘count nouns.’ Here are some examples of countable nouns:

• Dog
• Cat
• Pizza
• Apple

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All the nouns above have both a singular and plural version, making them countable nouns. For example, you can have a dog, or you can have two dogs or even three dogs.
You can easily determine if a noun is countable if:

• You can make it plural
• It can take indefinite articles, like ‘a’ or ‘an’
• You can use quantifiers with it, like ‘a few’ or ‘several’

Here are some examples of countable nouns being used in a sentence:

• A few of the students stayed home sick.
• Most of the dogs at the shelter have been adopted.
• Here are a few quarters.

Countable nouns can be paired with the determiner or adjective ‘many.’ For example:

• There are so many songs on the album.
• How many cars do you own?
• So many decisions were made.

What are uncountable nouns?

The definition of an uncountable noun is one that ‘cannot be plural and names something that there can be more of or less of, but cannot be counted.’² Ideas, concepts, and substances are considered uncountable since there is no way to quantify them. Here are some examples of countable nouns:

• Money
• Water
• Air
• Love
• Happiness

If you’re not sure if a noun is countable or uncountable, try making it plural to see if it makes sense. You wouldn’t say, “I have lots of moneys.” In this case, you would say, “I have a lot of money.”

Uncountable nouns can be modified by the adjective ‘much.’ For example:

• He has so much money.
• My cat doesn’t eat much food.
• How much air does the tire need?

You wouldn’t say, “he has so many money.” ‘Many’ is used for countable nouns. Uncountable nouns can also be modified by the adjective ‘little’ or ‘a little bit of.’ For example:

• Put a little bit of honey in the tea.

‘Honey’ is an uncountable noun since it is a liquid. Liquids can’t be counted.

• He has little knowledge of the subject.

Since knowledge is an abstract concept, it can’t be counted. ‘Knowledge’ is an uncountable noun.

Nouns that are countable and uncountable

It’s important to note that some nouns can be both countable and uncountable depending on how they are used. Sometimes, a word will have a different meaning in its countable or uncountable form. For example:

• He has blonde hair.

In this context, ‘hair’ is uncountable because it refers to hair in general.

• He wishes he could count the number of hairs on his head.

In this context, ‘hair’ is countable because it refers to individual pieces of hair.

Here’s another example of a noun that can be both countable and uncountable:

• My doctor told me to eat less meat.

In this case, ‘meat’ is uncountable because it is referring to meat in general.

• Processed meats have been linked to health problems.

In this case, ‘meat’ is countable because it is referring to a specific type of meat (processed meats).

Let’s look at one more noun that can be countable and uncountable:

• I want a chicken sandwich.

In this sentence, ‘chicken’ is uncountable because it refers to a general type of food.

• My mom has pet chickens.

In this sentence, ‘chicken’ is countable because it refers to a specific type of animal.

Knowing the difference between countable and uncountable nouns will greatly improve the quality and clarity of your writing. If you’re interested in learning more about how to improve your grammar, explore the most common grammatical errors and how to avoid them.

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