This uncountable noun guide will delve into uncountable nouns and their function. We will give you a list of common uncountable nouns, and give you plenty of examples, so you can identify them wherever you go. Suitable for grades 3-6 and ESL.

Uncountable Nouns: Defined

To understand what an uncountable noun is, we need to understand what a countable noun is. A countable noun refers to something which can be counted with a specific number or quantity.

Uncountable nouns, or mass nouns, however, are nouns that are unable to be quantified or numbered. These types of nouns usually cover concepts, abstract ideas, and substances that cannot be separated.

For example, if we take the noun ‘water.’ Water is uncountable because you can’t count the individual molecules. We can count water bottles or gallons of water, but the beverage itself can’t be counted.

Don’t worry if this sounds confusing; keep reading on!

countable and uncountable noun examples

Uncountable Nouns: Common List

Here are some common uncountable nouns:

Liquids

  • Water
  • Tea
  • Milk
  • Oils

Food

  • Butter
  • Cheese
  • Rice and grains
  • Flour

Abstract Concepts

  • Knowledge
  • Compassion
  • Education
  • Chaos

Materials

  • Wood
  • Plastic
  • Metals
  • Cotton

States of Being

  • Content 
  • Sleep 
  • Stress
  • Childhood

Feelings

  • Happiness
  • Anger
  • Disappointment 
  • Fear

Nature

  • Weather
  • Air
  • Oxygen

Other

  • News
  • Luck
  • Money (Change, bills, and dollars can be counted)
  • Information

Uncountable Flashcards

Tap the flashcards for more uncountable noun examples.

Uncountable Nouns: Grammar

When quantifying uncountable nouns, there are specific words that you can use called units of measurement or partitives.

Uncountable Noun Units of Measurement Flashcards

You can use the following units of measurement with uncountable nouns.

Uncountable Noun Quantifiers - Grammar

Want to know how to count uncountable nouns? Check out this explanation.

Instead of saying:

  • A milk.

You can use a measure word:

  • A glass of milk or a bottle of milk.

We cannot say ‘a milk’ because milk is uncountable. So, if we want to quantify milk, we use a measure word such as ‘glass’ of milk.

Uncountable Noun Quantifiers & Phrases

  • A cup of (add of with uncountable nouns)
  • A jug of
  • A piece of
  • Lots of (can be used with countable nouns too)
  • Some (can be used with countable nouns too)
  • Much
  • How much
  • A bar of
  • You can use numbers with some uncountable nouns, like two cups of tea.

Uncountable Noun Questions

Want to know how to ask questions with uncountable nouns? Check out the examples below.

  • Have you got any?
  • How much?
  • Is there any?
  • Would you like some?

Some partitives can be used before countable and uncountable nouns; check our article on countable nouns if you want to learn more about them.

ELA Topics
Elementary Grade 6+ ESL Examples Grammar Rules