then

/ðɛn/

//ðɛn// adv

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"then" is a 4-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“then” has 6 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #91. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#91
frequency rank, English
27,828
“T” headwords
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - At that time.

Corpus desk

Index EN-then · then · English

then · rank #91 · 6 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-CORE #91
  • LEN-MID 4 letters
  • VOW-1 1 vowel
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 6 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 27,828
  • PHOTO-FINISH any

Nearest frequency peer: any (-1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Frequency neighbourhood for “then”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “then” sits against the nearest ranked English headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of May 6, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

then vs TN
0% similar
then vs tie
50% similar
then vs tho
50% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for then
PropertyValue
Headwordthen
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdverb
IPA/ðɛn/
Letters4
Frequency rank#91
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “then” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). then lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 6 spelling variants around then (IPA /ðɛn/), anadverb. Corpus frequency is #91 among 27,828 “T” headwords. Wiktionary lists 7 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for then, with forms such as "hten", "tehn", and "thenn". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "TN", "tie", "tho", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English then(ne), than(ne), from Old English þonne, þanne, þænne (“then, at that time”), from Proto-West Germanic *þan, from Proto-Germanic *þan (“at that (time), then”), from earlier *þam, from Proto-Indo-European *tóm, accusative masculine of … The correct English form is then, spelled T-H-E-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    At that time.
  2. 2
    Soon afterward.
  3. 3
    Next in order of place.
  4. 4
    In addition; also; besides.
  5. 5
    In that case.
  6. 6
    At the same time; on the other hand.
  7. 7
    Used to contradict an assertion.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how then appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. He was happy then.
  2. And the Canaanite was then in the land.

Etymology

From Middle English then(ne), than(ne), from Old English þonne, þanne, þænne (“then, at that time”), from Proto-West Germanic *þan, from Proto-Germanic *þan (“at that (time), then”), from earlier *þam, from Proto-Indo-European *tóm, accusative masculine of *só (“demonstrative pronoun, that”). Cognate with Dutch dan (“then”), German dann (“then”), Swedish då (“then”), Icelandic þá (“then”). Doublet of than.

Synonyms

at the timeback in the dayand thenand sosubsequentlysoand thenfollowed byaccordinglyas a resultthereforeconcurrentlytherewhilesimultaneouslyensuinglyfollowinglyhereaftersynethen

Antonyms

beforepreviouslyprior to

This word in other languages

entonces(Español)alors(Français)dann(Deutsch)então(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • hten
  • tehn
  • thenn
  • thhen
  • thne
  • tthen

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of then - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

hten2tehn2thenn1thhen1thne2tthen1
Edit distance from "then"

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

PlainSpell is rendered directly from structured Wiktionary extracts and open word-frequency lists, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of May 6, 2026. Primary sources: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) and FrequencyWords.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "then"?
"then" is spelled T-H-E-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ðɛn/.
What does "then" mean?
As an adverb, "then" means: At that time.
What words are commonly confused with "then"?
"then" is commonly confused with "TN", "tie", "tho". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "then"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "then" is /ðɛn/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "then"?
From Middle English then(ne), than(ne), from Old English þonne, þanne, þænne (“then, at that time”), from Proto-West Germanic *þan, from Proto-Germanic *þan (“at that (time), then”), from earlier *þam, from Proto-Indo-European *tóm, accusative mas... See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "then", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 4 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

back#93over#88make#87want#96

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (6 here; floor ≥5).

know6 variantsonly6 variantsmost6 variantsthan6 variants
Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list