Each vs. Piece — What's the Difference?

Each is used to refer to every one of the members in a group, treated separately and individually. It emphasizes the singular aspect of items within a collection, ensuring that the attention is on one item at a time. Whereas, piece points to a single part of a larger entity or quantity, often used to denote a fragment or portion that has been separated from the whole. This term implies division or extraction from a larger unit, focusing on the concept of part rather than entirety.

When discussing quantities, "each" suggests a focus on counting or considering members of a group one by one, which is useful in contexts where the individual attributes or counts of items are important. On the other hand, "piece" is commonly used in contexts where the emphasis is on the fragmentary nature of something, such as a piece of cake or a piece of land, indicating a portion of a larger whole.

Each is often applied in situations where the number of items or individuals is known or relevant, stressing the individual treatment or consideration of every single one within a set. Piece, however, is more flexible in terms of quantity and size, referring to a part of something without necessarily specifying its proportion or relation to the whole in precise terms.

In terms of usage, "each" can be applied to both countable and, in some contexts, uncountable nouns (when specifying items or units), ensuring clarity in the distribution or allocation of items. Whereas "piece" is predominantly used with countable nouns, denoting physical or conceptual parts that can be individually identified and often physically separated or distinguished.

Pricing or costing provides a clear distinction; "each" is used to denote the price per individual item, making it clear that the cost applies to single units within a collection. Conversely, "piece" can be used in a similar context but might not strictly relate to pricing, often focusing instead on the aspect of quantity or measure, such as in buying pieces of furniture, where the emphasis is on individual units but with less emphasis on uniformity in cost or type.