TKG English Learner's Dictionary

little

littledeterminer

American /ˈlɪt.əl/ British /ˈlɪt.əl/ The first syllable is stressed.
very commondefining vocabulary

Little and a little are the same word before an uncountable noun, but little by itself suggests not enough, while a little simply reports a small amount.

  1. not muchused before an uncountable noun to mean not much, less than expected or wanted

    Bare little, without a, has a negative feel: it says the amount is smaller than hoped for. Compare this with a little (sense 2), which reports a small amount in a plain, positive way.

    Collocations

    phrase very little, too little

    Antonyms much

    Compare few (little is the uncountable match of few: little money, few friends); least; less

  2. a little: someused with a before an uncountable noun to mean a small amount, reported in a plain way

    A little simply reports a small amount, without the disappointed feel of bare little; unlike bare little, it does not suggest the amount is too small.

    Collocations

    phrase a little help, just a little, a little more

Usage

Bare little says not enough; a little says a small but real amount. The same split applies to few and a few with countable plural nouns. The comparative of little is less, and the superlative is least: less time, the least effort. Little as an adjective meaning small in size (a little house), as a pronoun used alone without a noun (she ate little), and as an adverb (a little tired) belongs to separate entries.

Common mistakes

I have little money, so I'm happy. I have a little money, so I'm happy.
Bare little sounds negative; a positive sentence about a small, sufficient amount needs a little.
She has little books. She has few books.
Little and a little go with uncountable nouns; countable plural nouns need few and a few.

See also few; less; little (little describing small size: a little house)

For translators

Meaning across languages The difference between bare little (not enough) and a little (a small but real amount) has no equivalent in some languages, where one word covers both; the article carries the meaning in English.
Grammar trap Little and a little go only with uncountable nouns; the equivalent for countable plural nouns is few and a few.