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Number vs Amount

Definitions​

  • ‘Number’ (noun) refers to a value representing a particular quantity of something.
  • ‘Amount’ (noun) refers to the quantity, size, or extent of something.

What’s the difference between ‘number’ and ‘amount’?​

These two words have meanings that are essentially the same: referring to the quantity of something. What distinguishes them is what they are quantifying.

  • ‘Number’ is used with any item that you can count (e.g. years, mice, mutations).
  • ‘Amount’ is used for uncountable items, for example liquid, resistance, plasticity, etc.
  • To know if a noun is countable, ask yourself if you can use it in both singular and plural forms. If you can’t, it is uncountable, and you use ‘amount’.

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How they’re used​

Example sentences with ‘number’

  • The number of edges per structure is shown in Table 2.
  • The number of discernible colors increased by half.

Example sentences with ‘amount’

  • The amount of fat in the human body can be reliably measured.
  • Significant factors were the amount of time spent reading books and watching films.