Which to use
“than” is a conjunction and “thing” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #77
- “than” frequency rank
- #184
- “thing” frequency rank
- 261
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | than | thing |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Used in comparisons, to introduce the basis of comparison. | That which is considered to exist as a separate entity, object, quality or concept. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set than and thing apart are highlighted. They share 3 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: than is /ðæn/ while thing is /ˈθɪŋ/. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (conjunction vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 261, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
than is recorded at frequency rank #77, classified as aconj, pronounced /ðæn/. thing is at rank #184, tagged as anoun, pronounced /ˈθɪŋ/.
Glosses for this pair are partially populated in our dataset, but the full side-by-side definitions above should still guide you to the right choice.
With a confusion score of 261, this pair ranks #529,662 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of than vs thing
Shared letters: hnt. Private to "than": a. Private to "thing": gi.
"than" · 4 letters · shape CCVC · "thing" · 5 letters · shape CCVCC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "than" and "thing" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "than" or "thing"?
Remembering than vs thing
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a conjunction, it's “than”; for a noun, it's “thing”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “than” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable