Are “Fewest” and “Least” Interchangeable?
Anyone who’s watched Survivor knows the nail-biting excitement of the Tribal Council. In this high-stakes elimination, the rules are simple: The contestant who receives the most votes is sent home. This means that the contestants with the fewest votes stay in the game — or is it the least votes? While
these two adjectives may seem interchangeable (and many people use them as such), they have distinct uses, and knowing when to use one over the other can make a big difference. The key to choosing between “fewest” and “least” lies in what you’re describing. If you’re talking about quantifiable nouns...