Than is used to draw a comparison between two or more items, while then is used in relation to time and the order in which events occur. (For example: Julie had been taller than her little brother at the start of the year, but then Corey grew over the summer until he stood half an inch taller than his sister.)
Comparison chart
Than |
Then |
|
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Used to draw a comparison between two or more items. | Used in relation to time and the order in which events occur. |
| Used As | A conjunction or a preposition. | An adverb, adjective, or a noun. |
| Examples | I ate more than he did. His smile was different than she remembered. | She ended the call, then packed her bags. “Until then,” she said. |
| Idioms | Easier said than done, more than meets the eye, better safe than sorry. | Now and then, then and there. |
| Etmology | Developed from “then.” No differentiation between the two in English until the 1700s. | From Old English. Used as a noun starting in the 1300s. Used as a conjunction, adjective, and adverb starting in the 1500s. No longer used as a conjunction starting in the 1700s, when “than” developed. |