Then or than?
The short answer
Use “than” to compare two things. Use “then” for time or order: what happens next.
What each one means
- “than”
- compares things
- Example: Tea is cheaper than coffee.
- “then”
- next, after that, or at that time
- Example: We ate, then we left.
Common mistakes
| Not this | This |
|---|---|
| This is better than that. | |
| I’d rather walk than drive. | |
| We ate and then we left. |
An easy way to remember
“Then” has an “e”, like “when” and “next”. “Than” has an “a”, like “compare”.
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