One of the Only / One of the Few

Certain sets of words in the English language tend to confuse people. I have found the following to be among them:

ONE OF THE ONLY / ONE OF THE FEW

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 or no more than 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 books I’ve found on the subject.

Correct: This is one of the few books I’ve found on the subject.

Also Correct: This is the only book I’ve found on the subject.