If you stop and think for a second, amount and number seem like they are pretty similar, right? Even native English-speakers have confused words like these. They are similar but they have a key difference in English grammar. The word number refers to something that can be counted or a “countable noun”; whereas the word amount is used for things that can’t be counted, or an “uncountable noun” that usually refers to a large amount or a large quantity of something.
Examples:
- Amount: non-count noun/mass noun
- It takes an immense amount of energy to wake up with two toddlers.
- I thought that my life was going perfectly but things can get in the way a good amount of the time.
- Number: countable noun
- Can you count the number of people as they enter the conference room for me?
- Believe it or not, my dog can count to 5.