"Much More" or "Many More" - Difference & Usage Guide

“Much more” and “many more” are very consistent sounding phrases, which often causes some confusion in regards to when it is most appropriate to use each phrase. In this article, we will be going over the meanings of each phrase, their appropriate use of them, and more.

What Is The Difference Between “Much More” And “Many More”?

The difference between “much more” and “many more” is that we’ll use the term “many” with countable nouns, while we’ll use the term “much” with uncountable nouns. Therefore, the use of “much more” and “many more” is dependent on whether the noun they are referring to is countable or not.

As we can see when looking at Cambridge Dictionary‘s grammar section, we will use “many” to refer to a large number of something countable. We most commonly use it in questions and negative sentences.

On the other hand, when looking at Cambridge Dictionary‘s grammar section, we can see that we will use “much” in questions and negative clauses to talk about the degrees of something. We can use “much” as an intensifier and refer to large uncountable quantities or amounts.

Therefore, we can easily remember that the phrase “much more” is tied to quantities or amounts that are entirely unspecified or unknown, whereas the phrase “many more” is tied to quantities or amounts that have been previously counted or can be counted in the future.

When Should I Use “Much More”?

We should use the phrase “much more” when the noun that we are referring to is uncountable. This is because the term “much” is specifically used with an uncountable or singular noun – both of which cannot be used with a number.

It’s important to note that uncountable nouns are things that we cannot count with numbers because they are seen as a whole or mass. They cannot be separated and therefore, cannot be counted.

At the same time, “much” is also a singular indefinite pronoun, which does not refer to a specific person, thing, amount, etc.

We will now look over the following examples that highlight the appropriate use of the phrase “much more” in a sentence:

Some dog breeds are much more friendly by nature than others.
I cannot take much more of this infernal racket!
He seems to have much more patience when driving than she does.
People these days are much more social online than in person.
Nowadays people get paid much more than they used to.
Children’s movies have become much more entertaining for the entire family.
A wide base and proper structure will be much more stable.
The new paint color is much more striking than the original.
I can’t take much more of your attitude today, young lady!
We will achieve much more with compromise than we will by the use of force.

When Should I Use “Many More”?

We should use the phrase “many more” when the noun that we’re referring to is countable. This is because the term “many” is specifically used with a countable or plural noun – both of which cannot and should not involve a number.

It’s important to note that countable nouns will always refer to something that can be counted and have both singular and plural forms.

“Many” is also considered an indefinite pronoun, however, it is a plural indefinite noun. which means it does not refer to a particular person, amount, etc.

We will now look over the following examples that showcase how we can properly use the phrase “many more” in a sentence:

Many more people died in the aftermath of the hotel fire.
Many more restaurants have decided to close down as a result of the pandemic.
This car is good for many more years, don’t you worry about that!
I wish you many more years of health, happiness, and anniversaries together.
Many more people are choosing to leave our office and work from home full-time.
The university has expanded, allowing many more students the option to enroll here!
I don’t need many more apples in this pie, do I?
How many more times will I have to ask you the same question?
I have many more hats in my collection than John does.
I have many more cases of beer in the back, so don’t worry!

Are “Much More” And “Many More” Interchangeable?

We should not think of “much more” and “many more” as being interchangeable. This is because we will use “much more” when the noun that we are referring to is uncountable, while we will use “many more” when the noun that we are referring to is countable.

We can also think of “much more” being used for amounts; however, these amounts are entirely unable to be counted. At the same time, we can think of “many more” being items, which we will be able to count. This way, the use of these two phrases is less confusing and does not come across as being interchangeable.

Is “Much More” Or “Many More” Used The Most?

As we can see, when we are looking at the data that is provided by Google Ngram Viewer, the phrase “much more” is used far more frequently than the phrase “many more”. This has been consistent from the 1800s into the present day.

We are also able to note that the use of “many more” has been quite consistent throughout the timeframes listed on this graph. On the other hand, we can see that the use of “much more” has seen slight fluctuations over time – with the use being more common in the 1800s than in the present day.

The difference in use may be due to the fact that “much” is often used as an intensifier that does not have a countable amount, whereas “many” is generally used when something has a specified quantity or easily countable amount. Therefore, folks will often use the phrase “much more”, more commonly than the phrase “many more” because it can be overexaggerated without coming across as excessive.