Word Confusion: Than versus Then

Posted June 1, 2012 by Kathy Davie in Author Resources, Self-Editing, Word Confusions, Writing

Revised as of
12 July 2023

I find myself checking my wording with this one often enough. Just remember . . .

than compares or contrasts

then is time,
sometimes existential,
sometimes historical.

Don’t worry about the conjunction–preposition differences. The only truly important difference is that between than or then.

Word Confusions . . .

. . . started as my way of dealing with a professional frustration with properly spelled words that were out of context in manuscripts I was editing as well as books I was reviewing. It evolved into a sharing of information with y’all. I’m hoping you’ll share with us words that have been a bête noire for you from either end.

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Than	Then
“Stronger Than Desire” Lobby Card by MGM via an eBay card is in the public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. — When I think of how much I can desire chocolate . . . well, what could be stronger?	Making a BLT Sandwich with Avocado and Basil Mayonnaise by Joy is under the CC BY 2.0 license, via Wikimedia Commons. — Making Joy’s BLT involves lettuce on the bottom of the top slice of bread followed by slices of tomato, then on the bottom slice, spread a sweet basil-avocado mayonnaise, and then add slices of bacon.
Part of Grammar:
Conjunction; Preposition	Adjective ¹; Adverb ¹; Noun ² Plural for the noun: then
Introduces an exception or contrast	Use in relation to time and the order in which events occur Diffen.com suggests an easy mnemonic: then rhymes with when
Conjunction: Connects two clauses or phrases Use in formal English with an unexpressed verb Use in expressions indicating one thing happening immediately after another Preposition: Use in everyday speech or writing using the object pronoun In comparison with	Adjective: Being, being such, existing or being at the time indicated ¹ Adverb: At that time, at the time in question, at the same time ¹ After that, next, afterward In that case, therefore Used at the end of a sentence to emphasize an inference being drawn Used to finish off a conversation Noun: That time ²
Examples:
Conjunction: Jack doesn’t know anymore than I. He does public speaking far better than I. They observe rather than act. That’s easier said than done. Scarcely was the work completed than it was abandoned. She thought it possible that George was more than uncomfortable with the situation. His hair was different than she remembered. Preposition: He was much smaller than his son. He claims not to own anything other than his home. Other than that, the work is finished. Yes, you are older than me. She was thinner than me!	Adjective: . . . the then prime minister George Bush, the then president, went to war after 9/11. Adverb: I got smarter, but by then I was also older. We bought the land and then built the house. She made up her mind then and there. It simply didn’t feel right — not then or now. His heated gaze met hers and then drifted to her lips. Noun: We have not been back since then. The horse bunched up under him then. When we get home, young man, then I’ll punish you.
History of the Word:
Its first known use was in the 1700s, before then it was the same word as then.	Old English than(ne), thon(ne), thænne was originally the same word as then. Its first known use was in the 1500s. Its first known use was in the 1300s.

Than

Then

“Stronger Than Desire” Lobby Card by MGM via an eBay card is in the public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

—

When I think of how much I can desire chocolate . . . well, what could be stronger?

A BLT sandwich laid out on two slices of bread before being put together

Making a BLT Sandwich with Avocado and Basil Mayonnaise by Joy is under the CC BY 2.0 license, via Wikimedia Commons.

—

Making Joy’s BLT involves lettuce on the bottom of the top slice of bread followed by slices of tomato, then on the bottom slice, spread a sweet basil-avocado mayonnaise, and then add slices of bacon.

Part of Grammar:

Conjunction; Preposition

Adjective ¹; Adverb ¹; Noun ²

Plural for the noun: then

Introduces an exception or contrast

Use in relation to time and the order in which events occur

Diffen.com suggests an easy mnemonic: then rhymes with when

Conjunction:
Connects two clauses or phrases

Use in formal English with an unexpressed verb

Use in expressions indicating one thing happening immediately after another

Preposition:
Use in everyday speech or writing using the object pronoun

In comparison with

Adjective:
Being, being such, existing or being at the time indicated ¹

Adverb:
At that time, at the time in question, at the same time ¹

After that, next, afterward

In that case, therefore

Used at the end of a sentence to emphasize an inference being drawn
Used to finish off a conversation

Noun:
That time ²

Examples:

Conjunction:
Jack doesn’t know anymore than I.

He does public speaking far better than I.

They observe rather than act.

That’s easier said than done.

Scarcely was the work completed than it was abandoned.

She thought it possible that George was more than uncomfortable with the situation.

His hair was different than she remembered.

Preposition:
He was much smaller than his son.

He claims not to own anything other than his home.

Other than that, the work is finished.

Yes, you are older than me.

She was thinner than me!

Adjective:
. . . the then prime minister

George Bush, the then president, went to war after 9/11.

Adverb:
I got smarter, but by then I was also older.

We bought the land and then built the house.

She made up her mind then and there.

It simply didn’t feel right — not then or now.

His heated gaze met hers and then drifted to her lips.

Noun:
We have not been back since then.

The horse bunched up under him then.

When we get home, young man, then I’ll punish you.

History of the Word:

Its first known use was in the 1700s, before then it was the same word as then.

Old English than(ne), thon(ne), thænne was originally the same word as then.

Its first known use was in the 1500s.
Its first known use was in the 1300s.

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C’mon, get it out of your system, bitch, whine, moan . . . which words are your pet peeves? Also, please note that I try to be as accurate as I can, but mistakes happen or I miss something. Email me if you find errors, so I can fix them . . . and we’ll all benefit!

Satisfy your curiosity about other Word Confusions on its homepage or more generally explore the index of self-editing posts. You may also want to explore Book Layout & Formatting Ideas, Formatting Tips, Grammar Explanations, Linguistics, Publishing Tips, the Properly Punctuated, Writing Ideas and Resources, and Working Your Website.

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