Than Vs. Then – What’s the Difference? ⌛
In this lesson, you will learn the difference between the words “then” and “than“, which even native English speakers can confuse sometimes. At the end of the lesson, you will learn how to distinguish words “then” and “than” when you are in a dilemma.
How to Use “Than”
Let’s start with the word “than“. This word is used when making comparisons in English.
Let’s look at the examples.
She walks faster than me. I am slower than her.
Jack is taller than Mary. Mary is shorter than Jack.
He is younger than her. She is older than him.
She has more books than I do.
Gold is heavier than silver.
Some expressions with “than”
Easier said than done.
Better late than never.
A fate worse than death.
Bite off more than can chew.
More than meets the eye.
“Than” also means –apart from, –except.
I don’t have any bag other than this one.
She claims not to own anything other than her car.
How to Use “Then”
Next is the word “then”. The word “then” has several different uses. Let’s check these meanings with example sentences.
“Then” is mostly used to indicate time. It means “after that” or “afterwards”.
Let’s look at the examples.
First, wash your face then kiss me.
Do you homework, then play video games.
He yelled at me and then rode ahead.
She stood up and then looked after him.
“Then” means “at that time“, “at the time” sometimes.
I was living in Paris then.
And then there were Elephants.
Then something else crossed his mind.
How to Remember the Difference
You can use this simple tip to remember the difference between “than” and “then”.
Than ➞ comparison (Both contain the letter “a“.)
Then ➞ time (Both contain the letter “e“.)
☞She is better then me – Wrong
➞ She is better than me. Correct (comparison)
☞Talk to John than come back. – Wrong
➞ Talk to John then come back. Correct (time)
Than or Then Exercise Quiz
Results
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