Certain sets of words in the English language tend to confuse people. I have found the following to be among them:
ONE OF THE FEW / ONE OF THE ONLY
The common term one of the only is, well, exactly that: common. I have used it all my life and heard it all my life and even read it all my life and not thought much about it. But if you stop to think about it, you’ll realize that the word only should refer to only (hah!) one.
So, while the dictionary has added the definition “few” to the meanings for only, a careful writer or speaker will use the correct term one of the few instead.
INCORRECT: This is one of the only new car designs I actually like.
CORRECT: This is one of the few new car designs I actually like.
ALSO CORRECT: This is the only new car design I actually like.
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