Little vs Small vs Tiny

Quando usar cada um em inglês, com significado, registro e exemplos.

Little

Top 1000 (muito comum) A1 adjective

Small

Top 1000 (muito comum) A1 adjective

Tiny

Top 2000 (comum) B1 adjective

	Little	Small	Tiny
Pronúncia	🇬🇧 /["/ˈlɪtl/","/ˈlɪtlə(r)/","/ˈlɪtlɪst/"]/ 🇺🇸 /["/ˈlɪtl/","/ˈlɪtlər/","/ˈlɪtlɪst/"]/	🇬🇧 /["/smɔːl/"]/ 🇺🇸 /["/smɔːl/"]/	🇬🇧 /["/ˈtaɪni/"]/ 🇺🇸 /["/ˈtaɪni/"]/
Significado	small in size or amount	Not big in size.	very small
Exemplo	She has a little dog that loves to play.	She has a small puppy that loves to play.	She has a tiny puppy that fits in her hand.
Registro	Neutro	Neutro	Neutro
Quão comum	Top 1000 (muito comum)	Top 1000 (muito comum)	Top 2000 (comum)
Nível CEFR	A1	A1	B1
Classe gramatical	adjective	adjective	adjective
Colocações	little help, little house, little brother, little time, little bit	be, feel, look, extremely, fairly, very, for, big and small, large and small, smaller and smaller	be, feel, look, extremely, fairly, very, little tiny, tiny little
Antônimos	big, large, huge	large, big, huge	huge, enormous, massive
Erros comuns	Using 'littler' as a comparative, instead of 'smaller', Confusing with 'few' when referring to countable items, Omitting 'a' before 'little' in a sentence like 'I have little money.'	Confusing 'small' with 'little' in size comparisons., Using 'small' to describe quantity when 'few' is more appropriate., 'Small' may be incorrectly used as a noun.	Using 'tiny' for things that are merely small, not extremely small., Confusing 'tiny' with 'little', which can have different connotations., Using it in a formal context where more precise language is needed.
Notas de uso	Used to describe size, age, or quantity. Can be affectionate when referring to people (e.g., 'little brother'). Avoid using in formal contexts where more precise terms are needed.	Use 'small' when describing size, usually negative or neutral. Don't use it for formal contexts like technical descriptions where precision is needed.	Use 'tiny' to describe objects or animals that are very small. It's suitable for everyday conversation but may not fit formal writing. Avoid using it for larger items.

Veja em clipes reais

How I Met Your Mother › S1 E1

I do those dumb little fluff pieces at the end of the news.

Agent Carter › S1 E1

Just a little piece of paper, right?

House Of Cards › S1 E1

A little trim.

How I Met Your Mother › S1 E1

I do those dumb little fluff pieces at the end of the news.

Agent Carter › S1 E1

Just a little piece of paper, right?

Little

The Pitt › S1 E1

and a small bowel obstruction waiting on surgery

Small

Perguntas frequentes: Little vs Small vs Tiny

Qual é a diferença entre Little, Small e Tiny?

Little: small in size or amount Small: Not big in size. Tiny: very small

Qual é mais avançada: Little, Small e Tiny?

Tiny é o nível mais alto, em B1, na escala CEFR.

Little, Small e Tiny estão no mesmo nível CEFR?

Little: A1, Small: A1, Tiny: B1 na escala CEFR.

Que classe gramatical são Little, Small e Tiny?

Little: adjective, Small: adjective, Tiny: adjective.

Pode mostrar um exemplo de cada?

Little: She has a little dog that loves to play. Small: She has a small puppy that loves to play. Tiny: She has a tiny puppy that fits in her hand.

Posso usar Little, Small e Tiny de forma intercambiável?

Nem sempre. Little, Small e Tiny são relacionadas e às vezes se sobrepõem, mas diferem em registro, frequência e uso, então trocar uma pela outra pode mudar o sentido ou o tom. Veja as diferenças acima antes de substituir.