Then vs Than: Which One Should You Use?

Two tiny words, one big mix-up: then and than. They look close, they often sound close, and they do completely different jobs. One points to time or sequence; the other builds a comparison. Once you lock that in, most “then/than” errors stop feeling random.

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Table of Contents

Core Difference Between Then and Than

Then is tied to time: past, future, or “what happened next.” Than is tied to comparison: one thing measured against another. If the sentence is about when or what follows, it leans then. If it’s about more/less or -er words, it leans than.

• Then: time / sequence
• Than: comparison
• Then: “at that point”
• Than: “in comparison with”

When Than Is Correct

Than signals a comparison. It typically shows up after comparative forms (words ending in -er) or after more and less. A respected style guide describes than as a conjunction or preposition used to indicate comparison.✅Source

Than After Comparatives and “More/Less”

These patterns naturally pull than into the sentence because they create a measuring relationship. The key idea is inequality: one side is higher, lower, faster, slower, easier, harder, and so on.

• -er adjectives/adverbs: faster than, quieter than, earlier than
• more / less: more than enough, less than ideal
• fewer: fewer than ten pages
• rather: rather than (preference contrast)

Than With Amounts, Limits, and Ranges

Than also appears in quantity language, where the sentence compares an amount to a boundary. That includes phrases like more than, less than, no later than, and no more than—all built around the same comparison logic described in major dictionaries.✅Source

When Then Is Correct

Then is mainly an adverb, and it points to time, sequence, or a result like “in that case.” Dictionaries list “at that time” and “next in order” as central uses, which is why then belongs in timelines and step-by-step narration.✅Source

Then for a Specific Time

This is the “at that time” meaning. It can point backward (back then) or forward (until then). The sentence isn’t weighing two things; it’s locating a moment on a timeline.

• Back then, the shop opened earlier.
• We’ll decide the menu by Friday; until then, nothing is final.
• It was quiet then, even if it’s busy now.

Then for What Happens Next

This is the “and next” meaning. Then acts like a sequence marker in stories, instructions, or plain narration. It’s about order, not comparison.

• We talked for a bit, then we left.
• She checked the calendar, then she sent the invite.
• The music stopped, and then everyone laughed.

Then for “In That Case” Meaning

Then can also signal a result: “if X is true, then Y follows.” Some guides describe this as a transition meaning “in that case” or “therefore,” which explains why it shows up in conditional sentences.✅Source

Why People Mix Then and Than

The confusion is mostly mechanical. Then and than are short, differ by one vowel, and many speakers pronounce them similarly in fast speech. Add the fact that both appear in everyday sentences, and the brain often grabs the wrong spelling—especially while typing.

Side-by-Side Examples That Show the Difference

These pairs highlight the comparison versus time split. Each “✅” line uses the word that matches the sentence’s meaning; each “❌” line shows the common slip.

Then vs Than in Real-World Sentences

Situation	✅ Correct	❌ Common Mistake	Why It’s Different
Comparison between two things	My tea is hotter than yours.	My tea is hotter then yours.	Than connects a measurement (hotter vs not as hot).
Time reference	Back then, the street was quieter.	Back than, the street was quieter.	Then pins the idea to a point in time.
Sequence (what happened next)	We ate, then we watched a movie.	We ate, than we watched a movie.	Then signals order, not comparison.
Quantity limit	It took less than an hour.	It took less then an hour.	Than compares the time to a boundary (one hour).
Conditional result	If the door is locked, then we’ll use the other entrance.	If the door is locked, than we’ll use the other entrance.	Then signals consequence (“in that case”).

Edge Cases Writers Ask About

“Than I” vs “Than Me”

After than, you’ll see both styles: than I and than me. Some people prefer than I in formal writing because it can imply an omitted verb (“than I am”). In everyday English, than me is very common and widely recorded in dictionaries as a normal pattern when than works like a preposition.✅Source

Then as an Adjective

Then can describe someone or something “at that time,” especially before a noun: the then manager, the then plan. Major dictionaries list this adjective use alongside the time and sequence meanings, so it’s not a quirky one-off—just a less common lane for then.✅Source

Then as a Noun

You may also see then as a noun meaning “that time”: until then, since then. It still stays in the time family, so it never competes with than in comparisons.

Editing Checklist for Then and Than

Editors usually run a simple meaning-check. It’s less about memorizing “rules” and more about spotting whether the sentence is doing comparison work or time work. The steps below describe the common review pattern in a clean, repeatable way.

1. Look for comparative markers (-er, more, less, fewer). If they’re present, the connector is usually than.
2. Look for time markers (back, since, until, next). If the sentence points to a moment, it leans then.
3. If the sentence shows order (one event follows another), then is the sequence signal.
4. If the sentence is an if statement that introduces a result, then often appears as “in that case.”
5. If the sentence is weighing two options or measures, than is the comparison bridge.

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