multitude
Loading your saved state.
large number
A large number or a wide variety of people or things. It is almost always used in the construction 'eine Vielzahl von/an' (a large number/variety of).
Das neue Gesetz hat eine Vielzahl von Protesten ausgelöst.
The new law triggered a large number of protests.
'Vielzahl' is almost always used in the fixed construction 'eine Vielzahl von' followed by a noun in the dative plural. The word 'Vielzahl' itself remains singular.
Es gibt eine Vielzahl von Gründen für diese Entscheidung.
There are a large number of reasons for this decision.
The expression 'eine Vielzahl von' belongs more to written language or to a more formal style. In normal conversation, you would often simply use the word 'viele' (many).
Eine Vielzahl von Bürgern hat an der Umfrage teilgenommen.
A large number of citizens took part in the survey.
The word is simply constructed and consists of 'viel' (much/many) and 'Zahl' (number). So it literally means a 'large number' of something.
Der Onlineshop bietet eine Vielzahl an Produkten an.
The online shop offers a wide variety of products.
amount / crowd
'die Menge' and 'die Vielzahl' can both express that there is a lot of something. 'die Menge' is more general: it can be a definite or indefinite quantity, including substances like water or sugar. 'die Vielzahl' usually means a large number or many different things and very often appears in the form 'eine Vielzahl von' (a large number/variety of). Learners may confuse the words because both have to do with 'viel' (much / many). A practical rule is: for simple quantity statements, 'Menge' fits better; for many different possibilities, reasons, or offers, 'Vielzahl' sounds more natural.
Am Morgen war ich von der Vielzahl der E-Mails überrascht.
In the morning, I was surprised by the large number of emails.
Für den Kuchen brauchen wir nur eine kleine Menge Zucker.
For the cake, we only need a small amount of sugar.