Some nouns can be both countable and uncountable, usually with a different meaning for each. This page lists the most common such nouns.
accommodation
uncountable: a place to live in or stay at
countable: an agreement between opposing people or organisations
countable: an agreement between opposing people or organisations
aid
uncountable: money or help given to those who need it
countable: something that helps you to do something
countable: something that helps you to do something
air
uncountable: the mixture of gases surrounding the earth
countable: (old-fashioned) a tune or a melody
countable: (old-fashioned) a tune or a melody
art
uncountable: paintings, sculpture, drawings, etc.
countable: an activity that needs special training or knowledge
countable: an activity that needs special training or knowledge
ballet
uncountable: a style of dancing that tells a story
countable: a particular work of classical dance
countable: a particular work of classical dance
beauty
uncountable: the quality that makes someone or something beautiful
countable: a beautiful woman, or an excellent thing
countable: a beautiful woman, or an excellent thing
beer
uncountable: an alcoholic drink made with malt and hops
countable: a glass of beer
countable: a glass of beer
blood
uncountable: the red liquid inside our bodies
countable: (old-fashioned) a rich man who likes to show off
countable: (old-fashioned) a rich man who likes to show off
bread
uncountable: a common food that's made from wheat or other grains
countable: a particular variety or type of bread
countable: a particular variety or type of bread
business
uncountable: the activity of making, buying or selling things for money
countable: a particular company or other commercial organisation
countable: a particular company or other commercial organisation
cheese
uncountable: a solid dairy food
countable: a particular kind or variety of cheese
countable: a particular kind or variety of cheese
cinema
uncountable: the making and marketing of films and movies
countable: a place in which films are shown on a big screen ("movie theater" is more common in American English)
countable: a place in which films are shown on a big screen ("movie theater" is more common in American English)
coffee
uncountable: a drink made with ground, roasted seeds
countable: one cup of coffee
countable: one cup of coffee
currency
uncountable: the banknotes and coins used in a country
countable: the monetary unit of a particular country
countable: the monetary unit of a particular country
danger
uncountable: the possibility of something very bad happening
countable: a person or thing that can harm or kill
countable: a person or thing that can harm or kill
delight
uncountable: a feeling of great happiness
countable: something or someone that makes us happy
countable: something or someone that makes us happy
depression
uncountable: a feeling of great sadness that can require medical treatment to cure
countable: a period of little economic activity when many people lose their jobs
countable: a period of little economic activity when many people lose their jobs
dessert
uncountable: sweet food eaten at the end of a meal
countable: a particular type or category of dessert
countable: a particular type or category of dessert
distribution
uncountable: the transportation and delivery of goods to shops and buyers
countable: the geographic range of a species, a language, a disease, etc.
countable: the geographic range of a species, a language, a disease, etc.
employment
uncountable: the giving of work to someone, or the state of having work
countable: an exchange of labour for payment, usually under contract
countable: an exchange of labour for payment, usually under contract
enjoyment
uncountable: the pleasure you get from something
countable: an activity or experience that gives pleasure
countable: an activity or experience that gives pleasure
entertainment
uncountable: films, concerts, sports, TV shows, etc. that an audience can enjoy
countable: a particular performance or activity that people enjoy
countable: a particular performance or activity that people enjoy
failure
uncountable: lack of success in doing something
countable: a person or thing that is not successful
countable: a person or thing that is not successful
faith
uncountable: strong belief in someone or something
countable: a particular religion
countable: a particular religion
food
uncountable: things that people or animals eat
countable: a particular type or category of food
countable: a particular type or category of food
freedom
uncountable: the state of being free to do what you want
countable: the right to do what you want to do
countable: the right to do what you want to do
fruit
uncountable: food that contains seeds, like apples, oranges, pears, etc.
countable: a particular kind or category of fruit
countable: a particular kind or category of fruit
fuel
uncountable: something that's burned for heat or power, like wood, oil, gas, etc.
countable: a particular kind of fuel
countable: a particular kind of fuel
gas
uncountable: any substance like air that's neither solid nor liquid
countable: a particular type of gas
countable: a particular type of gas
glass
uncountable: the material used to make windows, bottles, fishbowls, etc.
countable: a drinking vessel made of glass
countable: a drinking vessel made of glass
gold
uncountable: a valuable metal that's used to make jewellery
countable: a gold medal, or a colour that's similar to gold
countable: a gold medal, or a colour that's similar to gold
gossip
uncountable: stories about other people's private lives, often untrue or exaggerated
countable: a person who likes telling and hearing gossip
countable: a person who likes telling and hearing gossip
grammar
uncountable: the rules of a language
countable: a book that describes the rules of a language
countable: a book that describes the rules of a language
grass
uncountable: a common plant that's eaten by horses, cows, sheep, etc.
countable: any particular type of grass
countable: any particular type of grass
ground
uncountable: the surface of the Earth
countable: an area of land used for a particular purpose
countable: an area of land used for a particular purpose
hair
uncountable: the mass of fibres on your head
countable: a single strand of hair
countable: a single strand of hair
heat
uncountable: the quality of being hot
countable: a qualifying race or game at the start of a competition
countable: a qualifying race or game at the start of a competition
height
uncountable: how high something is, or how tall someone is
countable: a high place or position
countable: a high place or position
ice cream
uncountable: a sweet frozen food made from milk
countable: a small amount of ice cream on a stick, in a cone, or in a small container
countable: a small amount of ice cream on a stick, in a cone, or in a small container
injustice
uncountable: unfair treatment or mistaken legal judgement
countable: a particular action, judgement or situation that's unfair
countable: a particular action, judgement or situation that's unfair
intelligence
uncountable: the ability to understand and think about complex ideas
countable: a particular type or class of intelligence
countable: a particular type or class of intelligence
iron
uncountable: a strong, hard metal
countable: a household appliance for smoothing out wrinkles in clothes
countable: a household appliance for smoothing out wrinkles in clothes
irony
uncountable: humour in which someone says the opposite of what they really mean
countable: an event or situation that involves a contradiction of some sort
countable: an event or situation that involves a contradiction of some sort
jam
uncountable: sweet food that's made from fruit and usually spread on bread or toast
countable: many vehicles stuck together in traffic, or a difficult situation
countable: many vehicles stuck together in traffic, or a difficult situation
jealousy
uncountable: unhappiness felt when you think someone you like wants somebody else, or when someone else has something you want
countable: an action or comment that shows jealousy
countable: an action or comment that shows jealousy
joy
uncountable: a feeling of great happiness
countable: something that makes you feel very happy
countable: something that makes you feel very happy
juice
uncountable: liquid that's squeezed from fruit or vegetables
countable: one glass of juice, or a particular kind of juice
countable: one glass of juice, or a particular kind of juice
kindness
uncountable: the quality of being kind to people or animals
countable: a kind act
countable: a kind act
land
uncountable: the earth's surface, or part of this surface
countable: a country or region
countable: a country or region
love
uncountable: a strong affection for someone
countable: a person, thing or activity that you love
countable: a person, thing or activity that you love
marble
uncountable: a type of stone often used in buildings
countable: a small glass ball used for playing games
countable: a small glass ball used for playing games
meat
uncountable: animal or bird flesh eaten as food
countable: a particular type of meat
countable: a particular type of meat
metal
uncountable: a solid material that can be mined, like iron, tin, gold, etc.
countable: a particular kind or category of metal
countable: a particular kind or category of metal
nature
uncountable: all living things and the habitats that sustain them
countable: the basic character of a person or an animal, or a basic feature of something
countable: the basic character of a person or an animal, or a basic feature of something
noise
uncountable: loud or unpleasant sound
countable: a particular sound
countable: a particular sound
oil
uncountable: a thick liquid, such as the dark liquid from underground that's used to make fuel, or a thick liquid that's used for cooking food
countable: a particular type of oil
countable: a particular type of oil
paper
uncountable: a material that's used for writing on, printing on, or wrapping things in
countable: a newspaper
countable: a newspaper
passion
uncountable: very strong feeling or emotion
countable: a very strong interest in something or someone
countable: a very strong interest in something or someone
power
uncountable: the ability to control people, places or things
countable: a country with a lot of political, economic or military power
countable: a country with a lot of political, economic or military power
pride
uncountable: positive emotion felt when you or someone you know achieves something special
countable: a group of lions
countable: a group of lions
production
uncountable: the process of making or growing things
countable: a film, play, television or radio programme
countable: a film, play, television or radio programme
pronunciation
uncountable: the sounds made when speaking a language or saying a word
countable: a particular way of pronouncing a word or a language
countable: a particular way of pronouncing a word or a language
quality
uncountable: the standard of something, or how good it is
countable: a particular feature of someone or something
countable: a particular feature of someone or something
quantity
uncountable: the amount of something
countable: a particular amount of something or number of things
countable: a particular amount of something or number of things
room
uncountable: the space needed for something
countable: a space inside a building with walls, a floor and a ceiling
countable: a space inside a building with walls, a floor and a ceiling
salad
uncountable: raw vegetables like lettuce, tomato, cucumber, etc. mixed together
countable: one serving of salad, or a particular type of salad
countable: one serving of salad, or a particular type of salad
satire
uncountable: humour used to criticize someone or something
countable: a movie, book, play, etc. that uses satirical humour
countable: a movie, book, play, etc. that uses satirical humour
silence
uncountable: total quiet, or no sound at all
countable: a period of time when nobody's speaking
countable: a period of time when nobody's speaking
sleep
uncountable: a natural state of rest
countable: a particular period of sleep
countable: a particular period of sleep
smoke
uncountable: clouds that rise from fires, chimneys, etc.
countable: a cigarette, or the act of smoking
countable: a cigarette, or the act of smoking
soil
uncountable: the top layer of earth in which plants can grow
countable: a particular type or category of soil
countable: a particular type or category of soil
sorrow
uncountable: a feeling of great sadness
countable: an event that causes great sadness
countable: an event that causes great sadness
space
uncountable: empty area, or the unused part of something
countable: a particular area that has nothing in it
countable: a particular area that has nothing in it
speed
uncountable: how fast something or someone moves
countable: a particular speed
countable: a particular speed
spelling
uncountable: the ordering of letters to form a word
countable: a particular way of spelling a word
countable: a particular way of spelling a word
sport
uncountable: physical activities in which players compete individually or in teams
countable: a particular kind of sport
countable: a particular kind of sport
strength
uncountable: physical power, or how strong someone or something is
countable: an important ability or feature
countable: an important ability or feature
success
uncountable: the achievement of a goal
countable: a successful person, event or result
countable: a successful person, event or result
sugar
uncountable: sweet crystals added to drinks like tea and coffee
countable: one teaspoon of sugar, or a particular type of sugar
countable: one teaspoon of sugar, or a particular type of sugar
tea
uncountable: a drink made by adding boiling water to dried plant parts
countable: one cup of tea, or a particular type of tea
countable: one cup of tea, or a particular type of tea
time
uncountable: duration as measured by clocks
countable: a particular occasion or time when something happened
countable: a particular occasion or time when something happened
toast
uncountable: sliced bread that's been heated and browned in a toaster
countable: the act of drinking to someone's happiness or success
countable: the act of drinking to someone's happiness or success
trade
uncountable: the buying and selling of goods and services
countable: a type of skilled work, or a particular type of business
countable: a type of skilled work, or a particular type of business
trust
uncountable: the belief that someone or something is honest or won't cheat you
countable: a legal arrangement or organization that manages someone's money or property
countable: a legal arrangement or organization that manages someone's money or property
understanding
uncountable: comprehension of the facts about something, or comprehension of someone's situation or feelings
countable: an informal agreement
countable: an informal agreement
usage
uncountable: the way that words are used in spoken or written language
countable: a particular meaning or usage of a word
countable: a particular meaning or usage of a word
vision
uncountable: the sense of sight, or the ability to see
countable: an idea of what the future could be like
countable: an idea of what the future could be like
weight
uncountable: how heavy someone or something is
countable: a heavy object that's used to build muscle mass and strength
countable: a heavy object that's used to build muscle mass and strength
whisky
uncountable: a strong alcoholic drink
countable: one glass of whisky
countable: one glass of whisky
width
uncountable: how wide something is
countable: a measured piece of cloth, or the width of a swimming pool
countable: a measured piece of cloth, or the width of a swimming pool
wine
uncountable: an alcoholic drink made from grapes, or a similar drink made from rice, elderberries, etc.
countable: a glass of wine, or a particular type of wine
countable: a glass of wine, or a particular type of wine
wood
uncountable: the hard material in trees
countable: a particular type of wood
countable: a particular type of wood
work
uncountable: a job done for money, or any productive activity
countable: something created by a writer, painter, musician, or other artist
countable: something created by a writer, painter, musician, or other artist
youth
uncountable: the time in someone's life when they're young
countable: a young man
countable: a young man
sources : Original Link