Than vs Then: Comparison or Time?

Than and then differ by only one letter, so they are easy to confuse in fast writing. Their jobs, however, are completely different.

Than = comparison

Use than when comparing two people, things, amounts or situations.

• This lesson is easier than the last one.
• She speaks more confidently than before.
• We need less time than expected.

Then = time or sequence

Use then to show what happened next or what should happen next.

• Finish the exercise, then check your answers.
• We had lunch and then returned to work.

Then can also refer to a particular time

• I lived in Astana back then.
• By then, I had already finished the course.

Common error in professional writing

Our service is faster then before. → Our service is faster than before.

This error is especially noticeable in emails, CVs, profiles and website copy because spellcheck may not flag it: both words are correctly spelled.

A reliable proofreading test

If you can replace the word with compared with, you probably need than. If you can replace it with next or at that time, you probably need then.

Quick practice

(1) My new tutor speaks more slowly ___ my previous tutor. (2) Read the question; ___ choose the best answer. (3) I was living abroad back ___. (4) The second version is clearer ___ the first.

Answers: than; then; then; than.

What about if … then?

Then can introduce a result: If the tutor is available, then we can book the lesson. In many everyday sentences, then is optional: If the tutor is available, we can book the lesson. It never changes to than because there is no comparison.

One sentence can contain both

English can use both words naturally: This route is faster than the old one, so let’s take it, then stop for coffee. The first word compares two routes; the second shows sequence.

Editing habit: when you see either word in an important message, pause for one second and identify its job. That small check prevents a surprisingly common professional writing error.