Confusing Than and Then

National Grammar Day was last week (March 4, 2010) and I read several posts on various grammar websites about the top grammar mistakes. Over the past several months we have covered most of the topics that made these top 10 lists commemorating National Grammar Day. However, one common grammar mistake that made several of these lists that we haven’t discussed is the confusion between than and then. Similarity in pronunciation and spelling often causes confusion when trying to distinguish between then and than. Let’s take a minute to clear up any confusion.

Than = Compare/Contrast

The word than is used when comparing (or contrasting) two things. It indicates a comparison or difference. For example:

• At a young age, he showed a higher intelligence than most children.
• My mother’s apple pie is better than mine.
• Emily dressed differently than her sisters.

We use than in connection with the word “rather:” such as,

• I would rather work from home than in the office.

Than is also used in connection with “other.” For instance:

• Hudson wanted to live anywhere other than where he grew up.

Then = When/Time

While than has to do with comparisons, the most common use for then has to do with a sequence of events in time. It’s used to mean “at that time:”

• His mother told him that once he cleaned his room she’d take him to lunch then.

Then can also mean “immediately following:”

• First I will check my email; then I will return phone calls.

Other than referring to time, then also stands in for “in that case” or “as a consequence of.” For example:

• If you want the memo written well, then write it yourself.
• If you work hard, then you will receive a raise.

The tricks to keeping these two confusing words straight are 1) remember that than signifies a comparison, and 2) when you think about then remember the word "when" (because it deals with time).