Key Difference

• Number is used with countable nouns, which are items you can count individually (e.g., “apples,” “books”).
• Amount is used with uncountable nouns, which are substances or concepts you can’t count as separate items (e.g., “sugar,” “happiness”).

Breaking It Down

1. Number

• What it means: Refers to the count of individual items or people.
• When to use it: Use “number” with things you can count one by one.
• Examples:
  • “The number of students in the class has increased.”
  • “We saw a large number of birds at the lake.”

2. Amount

• What it means: Refers to a quantity of something uncountable.
• When to use it: Use “amount” with substances, qualities, or things that you measure as a whole rather than count individually.
• Examples:
  • “The amount of water in the bottle is sufficient.”
  • “She has a significant amount of patience.”

🎭 Analogy

Think of number as a collection of individual marbles you can count, one by one. Amount, on the other hand, is like a pile of sand—you can measure it, but you wouldn’t count each grain!

More Examples

Common Mistakes and Tips

❌ Incorrect: “The amount of people in the room was overwhelming.”
✅ Correct: “The number of people in the room was overwhelming.”

Pro Tip: Ask yourself, “Can I count this?” If yes, use number. If not, amount is likely correct!

📝 Practice Time!

Fill in the blanks with “number” or “amount”:

1. The _______ of water we need for the recipe is one cup.
2. There was a large _______ of people at the concert.
3. The _______ of emails in my inbox keeps growing.
4. She poured a small _______ of milk into the bowl.

✅ Answers:

1. The amount of water we need for the recipe is one cup.
2. There was a large number of people at the concert.
3. The number of emails in my inbox keeps growing.
4. She poured a small amount of milk into the bowl.