Small and little both mean “not large”, but small simply describes size, while little usually comes directly before a noun and adds feeling: a little girl, a lovely little town. After is and very, and with number and amount, choose small.
small or little — can you pick the right one?
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small + noun; be/look + small; a small number/amount of + noun; a (lovely) little + noun; little + uncountable noun (= not much)
- We found a lovely little café near the hotel and had breakfast there every day.
- The company is small, so everyone knows what the others are working on.
- I had very little time to revise before the exam, so I focused on vocabulary.
What changed
First versionOur kitchen is very little, so we eat in the living room.
RevisionOur kitchen is very small, so we eat in the living room.
When size is described after a verb, native speakers say small: The kitchen is very small. In that position little is usually used only about children: when I was little. Besides, very little already has another meaning in English, “hardly any”: very little time.
Little has a second meaning. Without an article, before an uncountable noun, it means “not much, almost none”: We have little time. With an article the meaning is softer: We have a little time means there is still some time left. Small has no such meaning.
Your turn
Only a ___ number of people came to the meeting, so we finished early.
Show the answer
small — Number describes a quantity, and it goes with small: a small number of people. Native speakers don't say a little number. The fact that the meeting finished early confirms that few people came.
Describe a place where you spend a lot of time: your flat, office or classroom. Use small for size and little to mean “not much”.
Our meeting room at work is quite small, so there's little space for more than six people.
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