Then /Than

When trying to determine whether you should use "than" or

"then," remember that "than" makes a comparison, whereas
"then" involves ordering events or items. Take the sentence:

 The quiz was harder "than" I had expected.

In this case, you are making an implied comparison; the test was
more difficult "than" your previous expectations of the test. By
contrast, if you say:

 I answered two questions and "then" got stuck.

You are ordering events; you first answered two questions and then
(subsequently), you were stumped.

George Orwell, in his classic book "Animal Farm," shows how you
can use both "then" and "than" in the same sentence: "Snowball
was racing across the long pasture that led to the road. He was
running as only a pig can run, but the dogs were close on his heels.
Suddenly he slipped and it seemed certain that they had him. Then
he was up again, running faster than ever, then the dogs were
gaining on him again."
In the final sentence in this passage, the first use of "then" orders events, noting
that Snowball, the pig, slipped and "then" was up again. The sentence "then"
makes a comparison using the word "than": Snowball was running faster "than" he
ran before. "Then" the sentence again orders events: Snowball was running faster
("than" ever), but the dogs were "then" (subsequently) gaining on him.

How to Remember the Difference

The character Judge Daniel Phelan speaking to Detective Jimmy McNulty in the
episode “One Arrest" in the television show, "The Wire," explained how to tell the
difference between "then" and "than" in an impromptu grammar lesson:
"Look here, Jimmy. You misspelled culpable. And you’re confusing then and than.
T-h-e-n is an adverb used to divide and measure time. 'Detective McNulty makes a
mess, and then he has to clean it up.' Not to be confused with t-h-a-n, which is
most commonly used after a comparative adjective or adverb, as in: 'Rhonda is
smarter than Jimmy.'"

Additionally, both "than" and "'comparison" have the letter "a" in them, and "then"
and "time" both contain the letter "e."

Or you can remember that "than" is a comparative adjective or adverb, and both
have the letter "a," as in: This is bigger "than" that." By contrast, "then" and
"extra" both have the letter "e." When you are ordering a list or events, you are
adding something extra to the previous item, as in: He did this, "then" he did that,
and "then" he did this other thing.

When to Use Then

proper use of then and than Then has a number of different functions, but it is most
commonly used as either an adverb or an adjective. Below are a few examples of
its many meanings and uses.

At that time.

I was at work then.

Come over this afternoon; I’ll be ready then.

Next in time, space, or order; immediately afterward.

We saw a movie and then went out for dinner.

We filled up the car and then began the trip.

In addition; moreover; besides.

The glasses are $100, and then there is sales tax.

First you need a license, and then you can drive.

In that case, accordingly.

If the weather is bad, then my flight will get canceled.

If there is heavy traffic, then I might be late.

All four of these uses are uses of then as an adverb. The use of then as an adjective
is much more limited.

Being so at the time.

The decision was made by then chairman Bill Gates.

The bill was signed by then President Ronald Reagan.

As you can see, most of the uses of then have to do with time. It can mean next in
time or at the time. Keep this in mind for later when I give you the trick to
remember.

When to Use Than

proper use of than and then Than is a conjunction that is used for making
comparisons between elements, objects, people, etc.

1. He is taller than I am.

2. She can run faster than I can.
3. Your meal looks better than mine does.
4. Coca-Cola is better than Pepsi.

In all of these examples, than is used to introduce a comparison between two

things. This is important to keep in mind. No matter what you are comparing,
whether it be time, money, speed, if a comparison is taking place, than is the
correct word choice.
Popular Phrases Using Than

when to use then or than in a sentence There are a few popular phrases that use
than that people aren’t sure whether to use then or than. In the following phrases,
than should be used.

More than less than; less than more than. (Less then or less than?)

He has less than I have. (Correct)

He has less then I have. (Wrong).

She has more than I have. (Correct)

She has more then I have. (Wrong)

Rather than or rather then?

I would rather eat than sleep. (Correct)

I would rather eat then sleep. (Wrong)

In the above example using rather then or than, the two sentences communicate
different meanings. The first sentence says you prefer (right now at least) eating to
sleeping. The second says you prefer to eat first and sleep second. So, the second
sentence isn’t necessarily wrong in all meanings, it’s just wrong when your
intended meaning is a comparison, not an ordered list of events.

Sooner rather than later.

I would prefer to eat sooner rather than later. (Correct)

I would prefer to eat sooner rather then later. (Wrong)

Than Me vs. Than I

When to use then and than For over 300 years, grammarians have insisted that than
be regarded as a conjunction, as opposed to a preposition, in all of its uses.

This means that sentences such as Jack is taller than Jill should be construed as an
elliptical version of the sentence Jack is taller than Jill is. In this sentence, the name
Jill is standing in for the full clause Jill is.

In other words, the pronoun that follows than is determined by whether it serves as
the subject or object of the verb “understood.”

The traditional rule, therefore, requires the sentence Jack is taller than I (not me),
since the full sentence is understood to be Jack is taller than I am. But it does allow
for sentences like this one, the report shocked Jack more than me, since this
sentence is understood to be the report shocked Jack more than it shocked me. In
this sentence Jack is acting as an object of shocked, whereas in the first sentence he
was the subject.

It’s probably best to hold to this traditional rule if you are writing an academic
paper for school or a book for publishing, but understand that it can lead to some
cumbersome, outdated sounding language.

He is taller than she.

You are taller than I.

In informal writing and speech, sentences like he is smaller than her are widely
used and almost universally accepted.

Remembering When to Use Then and Than

We’ve spent so much time talking about than that we almost forgot about the word
then, so now it’s the time to come full circle on using then and than.

A good trick to keep track of these words is that then is usually used to indicate
time. Both then and time have a letter “E” in them.

Than is used to make comparisons. Both than and comparison have a letter “A” in
them.

Summary

These two words are very close in their appearance, but than vs. then have
very different uses.

Then is commonly used to express a sense of time or what comes next or used
to be.

Than is used to form comparisons between two things.