The Correct Use of “Number” and “Amount”

ENGLISH GRAMMAR MADE EASY

BLOG #. When should we use “Number” and when should we use “Amount”?

Andrew Yiannakis,  Ph.D.
Research Professor
University of New Mexico

Webster’s dictionary has this to say about “number” and “amount”:

Number is regularly used with “count nouns” as in: a large number of mistakes; any number of times, etc. Amount is mainly used with “mass nouns” as in annual amount of rainfall, a substantial amount of money, and so on.

A simple way to determine whether to use “amount” or “number” is to clarify in your head whether the object in question is divisible into parts;  can be counted or totalled up;  or can be easily separated into individual and discrete parts.

EXAMPLE1: You have ten marbles on the floor in front of you.  Do you refer to them as the number or amount of  marbles on the floor?

ANSWER1:  Since marbles can be counted,  totalled up or separated into individual and discrete parts,  the correct answer is “number of marbles”.

EXAMPLE2:  You have a pound jar of honey on the table in front of you. Do you refer to the honey in terms of amount or number?

ANSWER2:  Since the honey itself cannot be counted,  or separated into individual and discrete parts,  the correct answer is “amount of honey”.

Now,  if we were interested in knowing how many jars of honey we have,  the correct answer would be “number” of jars of honey because the jars themselves can be counted,  or separated into individual and discrete jars of honey.

Common Error:  The “amount” of people who came to the party…. This is definitely wrong.  The correct form is:  The “number” of people who came to the party… Can you explain why this is the correct form?

Unknown's avatar

Author: andrewyiannakis

Andrew Yiannakis, Ph.D., is currently a Research Professor at the University of New Mexico (USA). He is also Professor Emeritus from the University of Connecticut where he taught the Sociology of Leisure, Tourism & Sport, as well as Research Methods and Computer Applications. He also holds the rank of 8th Dan in Traditional Jujutsu and a 6th Dan in Traditional Kodokan Judo. He is the Director of the Institute of Traditional Martial Arts at the University of New Mexico. He is also the Chair of the Traditional Jujutsu Committee of the USJJF. As an amateur historian, he has led several expeditions to Greece to conduct research at Thermopylae, and locate the path the Persians used in 480 BC to encircle, and defeat King Leonidas and the Greek allies. Prof. Yiannakis has published extensively in a number of areas.

Leave a comment