# then vs than

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### then
*adverb · IPA /ðɛn/ · frequency rank #91*
At that time.

### than
*conjunction · IPA /ðæn/ · frequency rank #77*
Used in comparisons, to introduce the basis of comparison.

## How to tell them apart
“Then” is about time or sequence (first this, then that). “Than” is for comparisons (bigger than, rather than). They are never interchangeable.

## Memory trick
“ThEn” has an E for sEquence; “thAn” has an A for compArison.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/vs/then-vs-than