Usage of "only (a) few"

[Sitifan]

1. Only a few people know about it.
2. Only few people know about it.
What's the difference in meaning between the above two sentences?
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Thank you very much for your reply.

[Molly]

a few = some
few = not many

I wouldn't use the second sentence.

[Yankee]

Hi Sitifan

Using the word "only" with "a few" adds a negative sense that "a few" otherwise wouldn't have. That makes "only a few" more similar to "few".
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I'm sure that "only few" is also used on occasion, and I'd say in this case the word "only" would emphasize/intensify the negative sense of "not many". However, I'd also say it would be much more common to say "very few".
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[Molly]