Words / B2

uh-MOWNT/əˈmaʊnt/

An amount is a quantity of something you do not count as separate items: a large amount of time, water, money. Number is for countable things (a number of students); quantity is a close formal cousin. Amount of + uncountable noun is the standard pattern. In speech, how much is enough. Do not write “amount of people” in careful English — that is number of people.

Meaning

A quantity of something, especially something that cannot be counted as separate items.

Examples

• “A large amount of time is needed for revision.”
• “A huge amount of marking arrived on Monday morning.”
• “Reduce the amount of sugar, not the number of spoons, if you want a fair comparison.”

Good to know

amount of + uncountable. Countable: number of. Everyday: how much. Formal close: quantity.

Near in meaning

quantity

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