Then vs Than: What's the Difference?

Time/sequence vs comparisons

Reviewed by the Grammarlyzer Editorial Team · Our Review Standards · Published January 22, 2026 · Updated June 13, 2026

Quick Answer

Then = time or sequence (next, afterward).

Than = comparison (better than, more than).

Quick test: If you can replace it with next or afterward, use then. If you’re comparing, use than.

Memory Trick: Then = time, than = comparison.

🔑 Key Takeaway

Then is for time. Than is for comparisons.

Quick Comparison

Form Use It For Quick Check
Then Time, sequence, consequence, or the next step If next, afterward, or in that case fits, use then.
Than Comparison between two things, amounts, or choices If the sentence compares one thing with another, use than.

Common Mistakes

❌ Incorrect:

This option is cheaper then the annual plan.

✓ Correct:

This option is cheaper than the annual plan.

The sentence compares two options, so it needs than, not the time word then.
❌ Incorrect:

Finish the draft, than send the email.

✓ Correct:

Finish the draft, then send the email.

This sentence describes the next step in a sequence, so it needs then.

🎯 Test Your Knowledge

1. Review the data, ___ send the summary to the client.

2. The monthly plan is more expensive ___ the yearly plan.

See It Live: Our Engine Flags a Real Mistake

Don't just trust the rule—test it. The grammar engine below checks then vs than (and everything else) directly in your browser. The starter sentence (“This option is cheaper then the annual plan.”) already contains a slip—edit it or paste your own to watch the engine react.

Expected correction: This option is cheaper than the annual plan..

Honest limits: Then and Than are both correctly spelled words, so a checker often can't tell which one you meant. That decision is yours—use the rule above, then run the check for the errors it can catch.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between Then and Than?

Then = time or sequence (next, afterward). Than = comparison (better than, more than). Quick test: If you can replace it with next or afterward, use then. If you’re comparing, use than.

Is it "better then" or "better than"?

It is always "better than." After a comparative word like better, faster, or more, you compare two things, so you need than. "Better then" is a common typo.

Why do people mix up then and than so often?

In everyday speech both words are usually reduced to the same /ðən/ sound, and they were a single word in Old English. Writers who go by sound rather than meaning slip easily, and spell-checkers miss it because both spellings are real words.

Word Origins & Etymology

Then derives from Old English 'þonne/þanne' (at that time), related to Proto-Germanic '*þan.' It has always indicated time or sequence in English.

Than also comes from Old English 'þonne,' but in its comparative function. Historically, 'then' and 'than' were the same word that split into two spellings to distinguish two meanings.

🔗 The Connection

These words were literally the same word in Old English. The split happened gradually from the 17th century onward, when printers began standardizing 'than' for comparisons and 'then' for time. This shared origin explains why they remain so confusing.

Real-World Examples

💼 Business:

First review the budget, then submit it for approval.

Then = next in sequence
💼 Business:

This quarter's revenue is 15% higher than last quarter's.

Than = comparison
🎓 Academic:

The sample was heated to 100°C, then cooled rapidly in an ice bath.

Then = sequence
🎓 Academic:

Group A performed significantly better than the control group.

Than = comparison
🗣️ Daily:

Let's eat lunch, and then go shopping.

Then = after that
🗣️ Daily:

She's taller than her older brother now.

Than = comparison
❌ Common Mistake:

My coffee is better then yours.

Wrong: should be 'than' (comparison). You're comparing two coffees, not talking about time.
❌ Common Mistake:

We went to the store and than headed home.

Wrong: should be 'then' (time/sequence). You're describing what happened next, not making a comparison.
📝 Recipe:

Whisk the eggs then add more flour than you think you need.

Then = sequence, than = comparison — both in one sentence
💬 Casual:

If you'd rather stay home than go out, then let's order pizza.

Than = comparison ('rather X than Y'), then = consequence

Why Do People Confuse Them?

Then and than are near-homophones: in casual speech, both are often pronounced as /ðən/ with a reduced schwa vowel. The distinction ('e' for time, 'a' for comparison) is purely a spelling convention that was only standardized about 300 years ago. Because they were historically the same word, the brain's language center treats them as interchangeable during rapid writing.

For more sound-based spelling choices, compare Where vs Were and Your vs You're. Both reward the same meaning-first test that solves then vs than.

Related Articles

Then and Than in Everyday Editing Work

In business writing, confusing "then" and "than" is one of the most visible errors in client-facing documents, marketing copy, and executive communications, precisely because both words are short, common, and easy to mistype. The confusion is compounded by the fact that in informal speech, "then" and "than" are often pronounced identically in unstressed positions, so writers who rely on how their words sound rather than what they mean will produce errors that pass a spell-checker undetected. A sentence like "Our platform is faster then the competition" does not trigger a spell-check warning because "then" is a real word used incorrectly. Proofreading for this error requires deliberately testing each instance of both words against their definitions.

In academic writing, the then/than distinction carries semantic precision that affects the logical structure of arguments. Comparative constructions — "X is more significant than Y" — rely on "than" to establish the relationship between two items being evaluated. If a writer substitutes "then," the sentence either becomes nonsensical or shifts to a sequential meaning that may contradict the intended argument. Conditional and logical structures also rely on "then" for their propositional meaning: "If the hypothesis holds, then the data should show X." Here, "than" would be grammatically wrong and logically incoherent. Consistent, deliberate use of both words is essential in research writing where the precision of every logical claim matters.

The error pattern is asymmetric: writers far more often write "then" where they mean "than" than the reverse. This is likely because "then" is the more frequently used word overall and is the default for many writers under time pressure. A practical proofreading strategy is to search the document for every instance of "then" and verify that it refers to time, sequence, or a conditional consequence — not a comparison. Any "then" that appears in a sentence with "more," "less," "better," "worse," "rather," "other," or "different" is almost certainly an error for "than."

The Then/Than Decision Rule

Use "than" for comparisons — it connects two things being measured against each other and can often be replaced with "compared to." Use "then" for time and sequence — it indicates what comes next and can often be replaced with "at that point" or "afterward." If neither substitution works, reconsider both options.

Questions for Choosing Then vs. Than

What is the simplest way to choose between "then" and "than"?

Ask whether the sentence involves a comparison or a time relationship. "Than" signals comparison — it appears after comparative adjectives and adverbs ("bigger than," "sooner than," "more efficient than") and can often be paraphrased as "compared to" or "in comparison with." "Then" signals time or sequence — it indicates what happens next ("first do this, then do that"), at what point something occurred ("she was younger then"), or a conditional consequence ("if this, then that"). When you spot either word in your draft, perform this quick mental test before moving on.

Can "than" ever refer to time?

In a narrow set of constructions, "than" can appear in time contexts — specifically in comparisons of time intervals. "It took longer than expected" and "The project finished sooner than we thought" use "than" because they are comparing durations, not simply sequencing events. "No sooner had she arrived than the meeting began" is a fixed idiomatic construction using "than" as a conjunction. These time-related uses of "than" all involve implicit comparisons, which is consistent with its core comparative function. Pure sequencing ("first X, then Y") always requires "then," never "than."

Is "different than" correct, or should it be "different from"?

Both forms are used and accepted, though "different from" is preferred in formal and edited writing. "Different from" treats "from" as pointing to the contrasting item: "This approach is different from the previous one." "Different than" is more common when followed by a clause: "The results were different than we expected" is more natural than "different from what we expected." British English strongly prefers "different from" (and sometimes "different to"), while American English tolerates "different than" more readily. In formal academic and business writing, "different from" is the safer choice unless a clause follows and "different from what" sounds awkward.

How do I proofread specifically for then/than errors?

Use your document editor's Find function to locate every instance of "then" in the document. For each one, ask: does this sentence express a time sequence, a conditional consequence, or a temporal point? If not — if the sentence is making a comparison between two things — change "then" to "than." Next, search for every "than" and verify that each one appears in a genuine comparison, not a time sequence. This two-pass method catches both directions of the error. Pay special attention to sentences containing comparative words (more, less, better, worse, greater, fewer, rather, other) — these almost always require "than."

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