Than Versus Then

Something I noticed recently in a book I was reading was the use of the word then when it should have been than. And suddenly I started noticing that problem in several other places (this is known as the Baader-Meinhof phenomenon). I always take this as a cue about what to cover on my blog.

Than

I wish I could remember what book I was reading when I noticed this problem so I could pull some examples, but I don’t. Oh well. Let’s look at how to correctly use than.

Where parts of speech are concerned, than can be used as a conjunction or preposition. Don’t worry about which one it is. Just concentrate on using it the right way.

Than is used most often when making comparisons.

Examples:
I’m shorter than my twin sister.
Dark chocolate is better than milk chocolate any day.

Maybe what I notice most is when it is used in conjunction with the words more or rather.

Examples:
The tension in the air pressed in on them more than the sweltering humidity.
I’d better talk to Liz tonight rather than waiting until tomorrow.

Then

Then is used in many ways and can function in 4 different parts of speech: adverb, conjunction, noun, and adjective. Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary also gives this defintion: “then: dialectal variant of than.” Ah, there’s the rub! I learn something new every day.

However, it’s one thing to use then in this way when speaking, but not in the written word where clarity is essential (unless of course, it’s in a character’s dialog).

Then is most often used as an adverb meaning “at that time; soon after that; following next after this in order of position” (Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary).

Examples:
He rang the bell, and then he took attendance.
I saw a robin, then a cardinal, and then a cow.

I’m not saying you need to learn which part of speech you’re using. But what I am saying is to learn how to use each word correctly.

Quick Tip: if you’re making a comparison, you’ll want to use than.