fewer interest

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "fewer interest" is not correct in standard written English.
The correct term is "less interest," as "interest" is an uncountable noun in this context. Example: "I have less interest in that topic than I did before."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

4 human-written examples

Bankers and investors cheer, for wage restraint means fewer signs of inflation, and fewer interest rate increases by the Bank of England.

The Economist

Because a 15-year loan also has 180 fewer interest payments than a 30-year loan, the borrower with that 15-year loan would pay $194,000 less in interest over the life of the mortgage.

The New York Times

Inflation in Britain was above the Bank of England's 2 percent target for a third month in December, adding to the case for fewer interest rate cuts this year.

The New York Times

For those graduates who are able to repay the debt in the 30-year period, a higher yearly salary is advantageous as early repayment means fewer interest charges are accrued.

BMJ Open

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

55 human-written examples

You're talking about fewer interests having greater market power.

The New York Times

But with many unknowns, few interest groups are willing to take that risk.

The New York Times

Mr. Bailey said that while Countrywide has historically done few interest rate reductions, it will be doing more.

The New York Times

There are, however, a few interest deductions you might miss while burning the midnight oil, including interest on estate taxes that have been deferred, interest on a business loan and certain types of investment-related interest.

Forbes

Few interest groups are better at affecting the legislative process than the gun lobby.

Huffington Post

First, when the video went viral, I got a few interest from labels, like CBS reached out.

Huffington Post

Limitations of the system are shown in Fig. 20, where an object is missed because of detecting only a few interest points due to low texture.

Computer Vision and Image Understanding

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When referring to "interest" in a general sense (e.g., concern, attention), use "less interest" as "interest" is an uncountable noun. For example, say "There is less interest in the project now".

Common error

Avoid using "fewer" with uncountable nouns like "interest". "Fewer" is for countable items. The correct term is "less".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "fewer interest" attempts to quantify a general level of concern or engagement. However, grammatically, it is incorrect because it uses "fewer", which is reserved for countable nouns, with "interest", which is uncountable in this context. Ludwig AI confirms this with its assessment of the phrase.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

30%

Science

30%

Wiki

30%

Less common in

Formal & Business

10%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "fewer interest" is generally considered grammatically incorrect. As Ludwig AI points out, the correct phrasing is "less interest", as "interest" is uncountable in this context. Although there are some occurrences of the phrase in various sources, mainly News & Media, Science and Wiki, it's advisable to use the grammatically correct alternative for clear and professional communication. When you need to talk about a decrease in interest it's better to rely on alternatives like "reduced interest" or "declining interest" for a clearer and more grammatically sound expression.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

less interest

Replaces "fewer" (used for countable nouns) with "less" (for uncountable nouns), correcting the grammatical error.

reduced interest

Indicates a decrease in interest using a passive voice construction.

declining interest

Emphasizes a gradual decrease in interest over time.

diminished interest

Similar to "reduced interest", but suggests a more significant decrease.

waning interest

Implies that interest is fading away gradually.

lack of interest

Expresses a complete absence of interest.

dwindling interest

Similar to "waning interest", indicating a continuous reduction.

fading interest

Suggests a gradual disappearance of interest.

abatement of interest

A more formal way to express a reduction in interest.

decline in interest

Uses a noun phrase to describe a decrease in interest.

FAQs

What's the correct way to say there is a reduction in general concern or attention?

The correct phrase is "less interest", because "interest" is an uncountable noun in this context. Using "fewer" is grammatically incorrect.

Is it ever correct to use "fewer" with "interest"?

The word "fewer" is used to refer to things you can count individually. Since you cannot count interest as a general concept, it's more appropriate to use "less interest".

What can I say instead of "fewer interest"?

Alternatives include "less interest", "reduced interest", or "declining interest" depending on the specific nuance you wish to convey.

Which is correct, "fewer interest" or "less interest"?

"Less interest" is the correct phrase. "Fewer interest" is grammatically incorrect because "interest" is used as an uncountable noun in the context of general concern or attention.