Then or Than: Choose the Right Word

To pick the right word, identify the job it does in your sentence. Ask yourself if the sentence describes a time, an order of events, or a result, or if it introduces the second side of a comparison. At a bike rental counter, you might say: 'This bike is cheaper than that one.' Here, than introduces the second bike. When your friend suggests the next step, they say: 'Let us try it, then decide.' In that reply, then introduces what happens next.

The word then marks a sequence of two or more actions, but it also points to a specific time. You can use then for past, present, or future situations because it does not indicate grammatical tense. In fixed expressions such as back then, the phrase means at that time in the past. In until then, it means up to the time already mentioned. Always look for a clear time reference in the sentence when using then in this way.

You can practise this again in See or watch: Choose the right verb and Too long or to long: Choose the right word.

When you state a condition with if, you can use then to show what happens in that situation. Consider this rental advice: 'If the bike is too big, then try this one.' In this pattern, then introduces the logical consequence or the next action to take. The word is optional here, meaning the sentence remains complete and correct without it, but when included, it must be spelled then.

A comparison highlights a difference between two people, objects, or actions. You place than directly after comparative words like cheaper, faster, better, more expensive, or less expensive when you mention the second item. You also use than after more or less before amounts, as in more than ten miles. If you do not mention the second half of the comparison, do not add than. A statement like 'This one is cheaper' is already complete.

Use this reference guide to match your communicative purpose with the correct word and pattern. Notice that then handles next steps, past or future time points, and conditional results. In contrast, than handles comparisons between two items and comparisons of amount. Reviewing the surrounding words shows whether you are linking two actions in time or measuring two things against each other.

Writers often swap these two words by mistake. To fix an error, check the entire sentence rather than relying on a single neighbor word. For instance, consider the sentence: 'The bike was cheaper then.' This statement is entirely correct if it refers to a past time when prices were lower. In contrast, 'The bike was cheaper than mine' compares two bikes. A comparative word like cheaper does not always require than. Remember that then relates to when or what happens next, while than relates to comparison.

Both then and than start with the voiced th sound /ð/. In careful speech, then uses the vowel /e/ and than uses /æ/. However, in natural everyday English, than is rarely stressed. It often has the weak form /ðən/, blending smoothly with the next word. Because stress, speaking rate, and regional accents alter the vowel sound, you cannot rely purely on your ear. Let the sentence structure guide your spelling decision.

Now test your ability to use both words without hints. When you send a message about hiring bikes, state a comparison first, and then describe your next action. Verify that your comparison uses than with an a, and your sequence uses then with an e. For example, write: 'The silver hybrid is lighter than the steel roadster. We will test the brakes, then ride along the river path.' Reviewing both words side by side reinforces their distinct functions.