The difference between SMALL and LITTLE

Sometimes we are not very sure about the differences in the usage of these two adjectives. Here is a brief explanation about it:

When talking about size, both can be used, although small is more common:

• I have a small pen case (or) I have a little pen case.
• They live in a small house (or) They live in a little house.
• Jack drinks water from a small  glass (or) Jack drinks water from a little  glass

Little is also used to mean young when talking about children, whereas small can be used to describe the height of the child:

• Jack is a polite little boy → This means Jack is a polite young boy.
• There are several little children playing in the park.
• Jack is small for his age.
• Small children cannot ride this roller coaster.

We also use little (or) a little + non-countable noun to talk about quantity. When used this way, little has a negative nuance or the feeling of dissatisfaction and a little has a positive nuance or the feeling of satisfaction:

• I have little free time this afternoon, so I can’t finish my work.→ This means I only have a small amount of time and I am not satisfied with that.
• I have a little free time this afternoon, so I think I can finish my work. → This means I have a small amount of time and I am satisfied with that.

We also use a little bit of + noun to talk about a small quantity.

• You have a little bit of ketchup on your shirt. Did you eat a hot dog?
• I ate a little bit of the potato salad. It is very delicious.

Little can also be used to show that something is not very significant. We generally do not use small in this way:

• I had a little trouble with the computer today. Not I had a small trouble with the computer.

Small is also used in comparative sentences. It is uncommon to use little this way:

• Cats are generally smaller than dogs. Not Cats are generally littler than dogs