Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

a few

/ə ˈfjuː/

Word Rarity Common

Frequency: 5.59 in modern English

Syllables: a few
IPA: /ə ˈfjuː/

10

Scrabble Score

4

Letters

1

Syllables

4

Unique Chars

Meaning

det

A small number of (a set of countable items); more than one but not very many; especially, more than two but not very many (explained in usage note at several).

pron

A small number of things.

Example Sentences

"She loves to sing karaoke, but there are a few songs that she refuses to cover."
"After a dismal few months my life at long last changed for the better."
"Only a few miles separates the villages."
""I don't want to spoil any comparison you are going to make," said Jim, "but I was at Winchester and New College." ¶ "That will do," said Mackenzie. "I was dragged up at the workhouse school till I was twelve. Then I ran away and sold papers in the streets, and anything else that I could pick up a few coppers by—except steal.[…]""
"Regrets, I've had a few, but then again too few to mention."
"Did everyone go home? ―No, a few (of them) are still chatting."

Phrases

quite a few

Frequently Paired Words

a handful of a little

Synonyms

a couple of several

Antonyms

one zero no a lot of many numerous countless

Questions

How do you pronounce a few?: The recorded pronunciation is /ə ˈfjuː/.
What does a few mean?: A small number of (a set of countable items); more than one but not very many; especially, more than two but not very many (explained in usage note at several).

How to pronounce a few

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “a few”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ə ˈfjuː/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “a few”.
Repeat and practice — Say “a few” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.