Which to use
“than” is a conjunction and “think” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #77
- “than” frequency rank
- #89
- “think” frequency rank
- 166
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | than | think |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Used in comparisons, to introduce the basis of comparison. | To ponder, to go over in one's mind. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set than and think 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 think is /ˈθɪŋk/. 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 verb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 166, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
than is recorded at frequency rank #77, classified as aconj, pronounced /ðæn/. think is at rank #89, tagged as averb, pronounced /ˈθɪŋk/.
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 166, this pair ranks #529,784 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of than vs think
Shared letters: hnt. Private to "than": a. Private to "think": ik.
"than" · 4 letters · shape CCVC · "think" · 5 letters · shape CCVCC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "than" and "think" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "than" or "think"?
Remembering than vs think
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a conjunction, it's “than”; for a verb, it's “think”.
- 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