When to use "less" and "fewer"

Question

when do you use less and when do you use fewer?

Hitchhiker · Accepted Answer

Here are some examples:

Less

Less than perfect.
Spend less time on that.

Fewer or Less

There are fewer/less than three pandas
The fewer people the better, the less people the better

Taken from dictionary.com:

The traditional rule holds that fewer should be used for things that can be counted (fewer than four players), while less should be used with mass terms for things of measurable extent (less paper; less than a gallon of paint). However, less is used in some constructions where fewer would occur if the traditional rule were being followed. Less than can be used before a plural noun that denotes a measure of time, amount, or distance: less than three weeks; less than $400; less than 50 miles. Less is sometimes used with plural nouns in the expressions no less than (as in No less than 30 of his colleagues signed the letter) and or less (as in Give your reasons in 25 words or less).

When to use "less" and "fewer"

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