Ache, 'Countable noun' or 'Uncountable noun'?

Question

I can usually read the sentence like ' I have a headache.'

But I think 'ache' is kind of the pain. We can't see the pain and touch the pain.

Therefore, I think that it should be 'uncountable noun'.

How can this be 'countable noun'?

Could you explain how it can be counted?

Being able to see or touch something is not what makes something countable. An idea is countable - "I have three ideas of how to fix this issue." - but you can't see or touch it. — Catija, Commented Aug 5, 2015 at 5:41
Oddly, we hardly ever say we have X aches now. We usually call them out by name "my head aches, and my back aches, and my knee is sore too." Or we generalize the count: "I have lots of aches and pains." But they are definitely countable. Single and plural. Not a group noun. Pain, on the other hand, can be non-count: a doctor might ask "Do you have pain?" but never "Do you have ache?" — Brian Hitchcock, Commented Aug 5, 2015 at 6:07
Thank you Brian and Catija. As my country doesn't use English by mother tongue, Uncountable and countable nouns are really hard to understand. But I think I can catch the difference between 'ache' and 'pain'. thank you. — Young, Commented Aug 5, 2015 at 8:02

John Deters · Accepted Answer · 2015-08-05 04:21:55Z

2

Many people consider a headache to be an event or an episode. "I have had three headaches this week, so I went to see a doctor."

answered Aug 5, 2015 at 4:21

John Deters

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An event re an episode. Then I can understand. Thank you.
– Young
Commented Aug 5, 2015 at 8:03

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