Key Difference: We often use the words a few and some while talking in English. Both words are different from each other, but many people use them interchangeably without knowing their exact meanings of them. When we talk about one or two things, we can use “a few.” If we talk about an unspecified number of things, then we can use the word “Some.” In this tutorial, we will show you the contradictions of these terms with proper explanations. Let’s see them below.
Few: They will arrive in a few minutes.
Some: I need some sweets.
 |  |
Few:
One or two things.
We can use the term “a few” when we represent one or two things. It usually represents countable things. Let’s see an example to make it clear for you. I might be a few minutes late to the office. From this statement, we might understand that someone will arrive in a few minutes. Here we come up with another example for your reference. Please spend a few minutes to think about it. Someone says that, you need to think about it.
How Do We Spell the Word Few?
The phonetics pronunciation of the word Few is fjuː. And this word sounds like the following audio.
Enunciation:
Syllabification refers to the process of division of words into smaller parts. It is commonly known as syllables. With its help, you can easily read and spell the word accurately. Here, you will see how to split the word “Few” by syllables.
- The word “Few” has only one syllable.
- It cannot be divided.
Using “Few” in sentences:
- Please buy a few chocolates for him.
- A few students know about this issue.
- He won a few matches.
- I am leaving home for a few days.
- Give me a few minutes.
Some:
An unspecified number of things.
The term “some” is used to represent countable and non-countable things. Let’s see an example to make it clear for you. We like to sing some songs. From this statement, we might understand that a group of people wants to sing a list of songs. Here we come up with another example for your reference. I know some of his friends. From this sentence, we might understand that someone says that he or she knows his friends.
How Do We Spell the Word Some?
The phonetics pronunciation of the word Some is sʌm,s(ə)m. And this word sounds like the following audio.
Enunciation:
Syllabification refers to the process of division of words into smaller parts. It is commonly known as syllables. With its help, you can easily read and spell the word accurately. Here, you will see how to split the word “Some” by syllables.
- The word “Some” has only one syllable.
- It cannot be divided.
Using “Some” in sentences:
- We need some money.
- I want some fresh fruit.
- Would you like to have some coffee?
- He took out some coins.
- Teena hired some new workers.
Compare: Few Vs Some
This table will show the contradiction between the words’ Few and Some.
| Few | Some | |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | It refers to a small number of things like one or two. | An unspecified number of things. |
| Synonyms | One or two, little, | Small number |
| Antonyms | Many | A few |
| Etymology | Old English fēawe, fēawa, of Germanic origin; related to Old High German fao, from an Indo-European root shared by Latin paucus and Greek pauros ‘small’. | Old English sum, of Germanic origin, from an Indo-European root shared by Greek hamōs ‘somehow’ and Sanskrit sama ‘any, every’. |
| Examples | I have a few questions to ask. A few years ago, we met him in New York. She has a few papers. I’ll be back in a few minutes. He gave me a few books. | Would you like some salad? I want to drink some water. She lent me her laptop. Who wants some hot chocolate? My mother prepared some new dishes. |
Resources and References:
Resources: Cambridge Dictionary (Few, Some), Merriam-Webster (Few, Some), Collins Dictionary (Few, Some), Dictionary.com (Few, Some)
Reference: Dictionary.Cambridge.org[1], Merriam-Webster.com[2], CollinsDictionary.com[3], Dictionary.com[4].