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This article was co-written by Christopher Taylor, PhD. Christopher Taylor is an assistant professor of English at Austin Community College in Texas. He received his PhD in English Literature and Medieval Studies from the University of Texas at Austin in 2014.
There are 7 references cited in this article that you can view at the bottom of the page.
This article has been viewed 43,238 times.
People often misuse the words than and then . This error is quite common, partly because the two words are pronounced the same, and in some cases you simply cannot tell the difference between the two words. However, it is important to know in which situations which words to use. As a general rule, than means comparison, then indicates time. Practice using and pronouncing these two words, and then ( then ) you will use them better than ( than ) anyone!
Steps
Identify “then” use cases
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Remember that then is a word of time or sequence. In all cases, then is used when you want to talk about a point in time or a sequence of events. If asked when a certain event took place, then is the right word that you can use to answer. [1] X Research Source
- For example, if your teacher asked where you were at lunch yesterday, you might answer, “I was at lunch then .”
- If someone asks when something will be done, you can tell them, “Come back tomorrow afternoon. I will have everything ready by then .” (Come back tomorrow afternoon. I’ll finish everything then ).
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Bind a sequence of events with the word then . Another common use of then is to refer to things in order. Use then to tell people what happens next in time, space, or order. Here are some examples of this usage: [2] X Research Sources
- We are going to leave at 9, and then we stop for lunch around 11. (We will depart at 9 o’clock, then stop for lunch around 11 o’clock).
- First, you line up part A and part B. Then , you screw them together. (First, line up parts A and B, then fasten the two parts together.)
- The inner planets go Mercury, Venus, Earth, and then Mars. (The planets are Mercury, Venus, Earth, and then Mars.)
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Use then to add information or conditions. Then can also be used to mean “in addition”, “moreover” or “in that case”. Use then when you need to add information to a sentence, or to adjust results based on a condition. [3] X Research Sources
- If you want additional information, you can say, “The dinner costs $20, and then you have to add the tip.” (The cost of dinner is 400 thousand, plus you have to add a tip.)
- To describe conditions, you could say, “If the weather is good, then we will go to the beach tomorrow.” (If the weather is nice , we will go to the beach tomorrow.)
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Use then when you want to imply that something was true in the past. In some special cases, then can be used as an adjective to refer to something that was once real, even if it is no longer true. You may hear people use then in this way when referring to people, such as a politician, who once held a certain position but are no longer in that position. [4] X Research Sources
- For example, “That program was instituted in 2010 by then President Barack Obama.” (The program was created in 2010 by then -President Barack Obama.)
- However, this usage doesn’t just refer to people. You can also say things like, “The historian wrote about the then state prospered of Rome.” (Historians write about the brilliant development of Rome at that time .)
Identify use cases of “coal”
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Use than as a conjunction in comparative contexts. A conjunction is a word used to connect two sides of a sentence. When talking about a noun (thing, person, place or concept) that is related to another noun, you can use than to introduce the second part of a comparative sentence. Than is often placed before comparison words like better, worse, more, less, higher, lower, smaller, larger, etc. For example: [5] X Research source
- There are more onions than scallions in your fridge. (There are more onions in your fridge than spring onions.)
- I can run faster now than I could last year. (I run faster now than last year.)
- I like cloudy weather more than I like the sun. (I prefer shady weather to sunny weather.)
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Use charcoal to show the relationship between two events. Than can also be used with past tense verbs and some adverb clauses. An adverb clause is a phrase that modifies or defines a verb. In these cases, coal is used to indicate that one thing is related to another. [6] X Research Sources
- For example, if it feels like your alarm clock goes off as soon as you fall asleep, you could say, “No sooner did I lay my head down than my clock started to ring.” (I had just laid back on the bed before the clock rang.)
- This usage sometimes sounds like then and can be confusing. The difference is that then is used when there is a continuation, but than does not express continuity in this case. It only shows the connection between two things – lying on the bed and the alarm going off.
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Use coal when you can’t find a synonym for the word you’re talking about. If you’re trying to distinguish between than and then , try using the word instead. Than is a special word with no synonyms. Conversely, then can be replaced with words like “subsequently,” (then) “next,” (continued) or “later” (after). [7] X Source
- For example, people do not say “Jessica arrived later Joe.” (Jessica came later, Joe.) Even though you’re talking about time, you’re still comparing who is later than whom in this context. That is why the correct sentence should be, “Jessica arrived later than Joe.” (Jessica arrived later than Joe.)
- However, it still makes sense for you to say, “First and need to shower and next I have to catch the bus.” (I have to shower first, then I have to catch the bus). In this context, “next” can be substituted for then .
Practice using Then and Than
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Check usage. If you ever make a mistake when writing, check each word to see if they make sense in the context of the sentence. Ask yourself the following questions as you write to find the right word: [8] X Research Sources
- If I write the word “next” instead of the word “then”, will the sentence still make sense?
- “I will go to the store next ” is a meaningful sentence, so we can say “I will go to the store then .”
- If I write the phrase “in comparison to” instead of “than”, will the sentence still make sense?
- “A used car costs less in comparison to a new car” is a meaningful sentence, then you could say “It costs less than a new car.”
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Practice writing with then and than often. The best way to get used to the different uses of then and than is to use them in context. Then try writing down a set of instructions to practice using then . [9] X Research Source
- You should also pay attention to how to use then and than in everyday writing. Spend a few minutes reading and editing essays, school assignments, and documents to check their correct usage.
- You can also find then and coal quizzes and exercises online to check. [10] X Research Source
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Pronounce these two words differently. Phonologically, native English speakers use the schwa sound ( ǝ , kind of like a light “e” sound) because it’s more effective in everyday communication, so sometimes “a” and “e” don’t work. markedly different pronunciation. However, spending time practicing the different pronunciations between these two words can help you solidify their usage in your head. [11] X Research Source
- Speak the word coal with your mouth wide open and your tongue pressed down against your teeth. Vowels come from the back of the mouth and the throat is slightly constricted.
- Speak then with your mouth slightly open. Vowels emanating from the throat relax and the tongue to normal.
Advice
- The easiest way to remember this is: the word “then” is the equivalent of the word “when,” and both have the letter “e.”
- Pay attention to the grammar check. If your word processor underlines or highlights the word “then” or “than,” you probably picked the wrong word. Read the sentence again to be sure.
- People often misuse the word then rather than the word than. Errors using the word coal look odd or completely wrong; while then errors seem more acceptable. Pay special attention to the word then and its usage.
- Another mnemonic: the words “then” and “time” both have an “e” but no “a,” and the words “than” and “comparison” both have an “a” without the “a” e.”
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This article was co-written by Christopher Taylor, PhD. Christopher Taylor is an assistant professor of English at Austin Community College in Texas. He received his PhD in English Literature and Medieval Studies from the University of Texas at Austin in 2014.
There are 7 references cited in this article that you can see at the bottom of the page.
This article has been viewed 43,238 times.
People often misuse the words than and then . This error is quite common, partly because the two words are pronounced the same, and in some cases you simply cannot tell the difference between the two words. However, it is important to know in which situations which words to use. As a general rule, than means comparison, then indicates time. Practice using and pronouncing these two words, and then ( then ) you will use them better than ( than ) anyone!
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