small and little

Small simply refers to size. It is the opposite of big or large (see here).

• Could I have a small brandy, please?
• You’re too small to be a police officer.

The adjective little usually expresses some kind of emotion.

• Poor little thing – come here and let me look after you.
• ‘What’s he like?’ ‘Oh, he’s a funny little man.’
• What’s that nasty little boy doing in our garden?
• They’ve bought a pretty little house in the country.

In a few fixed expressions, little is used in the same way as small or short.

• little finger
• the little hand of a clock
• a little while
• a little way

In British English little is unusual in ‘predicative’ position (after a verb), and comparative and superlative forms are not normally used.

• The puppy was so small and sweet. (More natural in British English than The puppy was so little …)
• He’s the smallest baby I’ve ever seen. (More natural than … the littlest baby …)

note

For little used as a determiner meaning ‘not much’ (e.g. There’s little hope), (see here).