Nov 12, 2015 · To keep this pair of words straight, focus on this basic difference: than is used when you're talking about comparisons; then is used when you're talking about something relating to time.

He's always harking back to his childhood and saying how things were better then. Just then, the lights went out. The train leaves at three minutes to eight, so we'd better get there a few minutes before …

1. at that time: Prices were lower then. 2. immediately or soon afterward: The rain stopped and then started again. 3. next in order of time or place: We ate, then we started home.

Then is a word that puts things in order by time, or refers to a moment in time: you get up; then you have breakfast. You're married now; back then, you were single.

at that time: Prices were lower then. immediately or soon afterward: The rain stopped and then started again. next in order of time or place: We ate, then we started home. in those circumstances: If you …

Jun 27, 2023 · The words then and than look very similar and are often pronounced the same. However, these two confusing words have entirely different meanings and are used in different ways. This …

3 days ago · The country was shaken by the then-recent assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy, which happened against the background of profound racial tensions, stark …

Dec 2, 2025 · Learn the real difference between than and then with simple rules and clear examples so you stop mixing them up in everyday English.

English dictionary and integrated thesaurus for learners, writers, teachers, and students with advanced, intermediate, and beginner levels.

Then is a very common word that’s used in situations involving what comes next—either in terms of time (as in Just then, the door opened or We saw a movie and then we drove home) or a result (as in If …