Many, Much, Count Nouns, and Noncount Nouns

Choosing between many and much depends on what kind of noun you are talking about.

The word many is used to refer to a large number of things that can be counted, or nouns that have a plural form. This type of noun is called a count noun. Things like "cats," "books," "offices," and "friends" are plural count nouns. Below are some examples of many used with count nouns.

• I have many friends.
• How many cars does your father own?
• We don’t have many things.
• He has too many pets.

The word much is used to refer to a large amount of something that cannot be counted and does not have a plural form. This type of noun is called a noncount noun. Things like "milk," "air," "homework," and "luggage" are noncount nouns and do not have plural forms. (Click here for a list of more noncount nouns.) Below are some examples of much used with noncount nouns.

• We have too much furniture.
• How much money did you save?
• She gave us so much housework that we didn’t have time to play.
• There isn’t much water left in the pitcher.

Just remember: if the noun has a plural form, use many. If it does not have a plural form, use much.

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