Amount and Number

Amount and number confuse some people. Use amount when referring to quantities that can’t be counted.

Examples are: a large amount of snow, a small amount of money.

• What is the amount of my bill?
• The recipe calls for a small amount of sugar.

Use number when referring to things that can be counted.

Examples are: a large number of people, a small number of apples.

• A number of families now own cars.
• A large number of people are migrating.