Is it "10 items or less" or "10 items or fewer"?

Contexti

Tesco famously changed its express-lane signs from 10 items or less to up to 10 items in 2008 after a long public campaign led by the Plain English Society — a rare case where a grammar debate made national news. Most US chains have kept the or less wording.

A little moreii

Supermarkets have used "10 items or less" for decades, which is why it sounds natural — but the strict rule asks for fewer whenever the noun is countable. If you are writing for a careful reader, go with "fewer." If you are writing a supermarket sign, the world has mostly given up.

Examplesiii

Watch foriv

The full entryv

More quick answersvi

• → When do I use "fewer"? Use fewer for things you can count: fewer chairs, fewer errors, fewer hours logged.
• → When do I use "less"? Use less for amounts you measure rather than count: less water, less noise, less patience.
• → Is it "less people" or "fewer people"? "Fewer people." People are countable, so the correct word is fewer.
• → Is it "less calories" or "fewer calories"? "Fewer calories." A calorie is a unit you can count, so the right word is fewer.
• → Is it "under 10 people" or "fewer than 10 people"? "Fewer than 10 people" is the precise form — people are countable, so fewer fits.