List Of Countable And Uncountable Food

Countable and Uncountable Food in English – Lists, Pictures, and Examples

ByCraig Comer

The fact that nouns can be countable or uncountable can be a difficult concept for English language learners to understand at first. When students do not grasp this difference, it often leads to many common mistakes, such as using incorrect plural forms or choosing the wrong quantifiers.

For example, students often do well with countable nouns, saying one apple and two apples. However, they may then apply this same rule to uncountable nouns, which leads to common errors such as two breads or three rices. Understanding whether a noun is countable or uncountable helps students use plural forms correctly and choose the right determiners, such as some and any, as well as quantifiers like much, many, few, and a little.

One of the easiest ways to introduce countable and uncountable nouns to students is by using food as an example. Food words are familiar, easy to visualize, and commonly used in everyday English.

To help you teach or learn this topic, below you will find a list of countable and uncountable food, together with pictures and example sentences, to make these nouns easier to understand and remember.

Countable Food List

Countable nouns (also called count nouns) are nouns that can be counted and have both singular and plural forms. For example, we say one apple and two apples. The plural form of most countable nouns is made by adding -s (apples), -es (sandwiches), or -ies (cherries) to the singular form. Below is a list of common countable food nouns in English.

  • apple
  • banana
  • grape
  • pear
  • cherry
  • orange
  • tomato
  • lemon
  • strawberry
  • carrot
  • potato
  • olive
  • egg
  • sandwich
  • hamburger
  • hot dog

Uncountable Food List

Uncountable nouns (also called non-count nouns) are nouns that cannot be counted and do not have a plural form. For example, we say water, flour, and rice, not waters or rices. Because uncountable nouns do not take a plural -s, they are commonly used with determiners and quantifiers such as some, any, much, and a little. Below is a list of common uncountable food nouns in English.

  • bread
  • cheese
  • water
  • juice
  • flour
  • meat
  • chocolate
  • soup
  • cereal
  • coffee
  • tea
  • salt
  • sugar
  • butter
  • jam
  • honey

Countable Foods With Pictures and Example Sentences

apple(s)

I eat an apple every day.

banana(s)

She has two bananas.

grape(s)

He eats three grapes.

pear(s)

She eats a pear.

cherry/cherries

There are three cherries on the cake.

tomato(es)

She puts a tomato in her salad.

lemon(s)

We need two lemons.

strawberry/strawberries

She eats strawberries for breakfast.

carrot(s)

Put two carrots in the soup.

potato(es)

Peel three potatoes, please.

egg(s)

I eat two eggs for breakfast.

sandwich(es)

She has a sandwich for lunch.

hamburger(s)

I ordered a hamburger.

hot dog(s)

I can eat five hot dogs.

Uncountable Foods With Pictures and Example Sentences

bread

I bought some bread.

cheese

She eats some cheese.

water

I drank some water with lunch.

juice

He drinks some juice.

flour

We need some flour.

meat

She ate some meat and vegetables.

chocolate

I ate some chocolate.

soup

He eats some soup.

cereal

I ate some cereal for breakfast.

coffee

She drinks some coffee.

tea

He drinks some tea.

salt

Add a little salt.

sugar

I add some sugar.

butter

We need some butter.

jam

She puts some jam on the bread.

honey

I add some honey.

Countable And Uncountable Food Teaching Resources

Before you go, check out these related teaching resources and guides that can help you teach countable and uncountable nouns to beginners. Like everything on Games4esl, these are free to use in your lessons.

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