Commonly Confused Words

Then vs. Than

1 min read

People often mix up then and than, even native speakers. But they have very different meanings.

Then

Then is used to talk about time, order, or results. It tells us what happens next, or what happened at a certain time.

We had dinner, then watched a movie.
I’ll call you later, then we can decide.
If you study, then you’ll pass the test.

Use then when you're talking about what happens next, or about a result (if... then...).

Than

Than is used to compare: it shows a difference between two things.

She's taller than her brother.
This phone is cheaper than the other one.
I’d rather stay home than go out tonight.

Use than when you're comparing one thing to another.

💡 Tip

The “a” in than is for “compAre.” If you’re not comparing, use then.

Test your knowledge 📝

Question 1 sur 8Score: 0/8

We went to the store, ___ we stopped for coffee.

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Commonly Confused Words

Then vs. Than

1 min read

People often mix up then and than, even native speakers. But they have very different meanings.

Then

Then is used to talk about time, order, or results. It tells us what happens next, or what happened at a certain time.

We had dinner, then watched a movie.
I’ll call you later, then we can decide.
If you study, then you’ll pass the test.

Use then when you're talking about what happens next, or about a result (if... then...).

Than

Than is used to compare: it shows a difference between two things.

She's taller than her brother.
This phone is cheaper than the other one.
I’d rather stay home than go out tonight.

Use than when you're comparing one thing to another.

💡 Tip

The “a” in than is for “compAre.” If you’re not comparing, use then.

Test your knowledge 📝

Question 1 sur 8Score: 0/8

We went to the store, ___ we stopped for coffee.

Discover the app: Shaky English

Join 100,000 people who are improving their English skills on the Shaky English app

Other similar rules

Common confusions

“Different from” vs. “Different than”

Common confusions

Your vs. You're

Conjugation

In / On / At for time

In, on, and at are prepositions of time. They are used to talk about when something happens. The difference depends on how specific the time is. At → exact time Use at for precise moments. At 3 p...

Conjugation

Too vs. Enough

Common confusions

Who vs. Whom

Vocabulary

Apostrophes

A bit of theory

A lot vs. Allot vs. Alot

Common confusions