Which to use
“then” is an adverb and “think” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #23,392
- “then” frequency rank
- #13,280
- “think” frequency rank
- 36672
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | then | think |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | (Adverbe conjonctif) Alors, dans ce cas, par conséquence. | Penser, croire. |
Where the eye mixes then and think
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 3 letters in sequence.
Look-alike desk: then vs think
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: then is \ˈðɛn\ while think is \θɪŋk\. 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 (adverb vs verb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 36672, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
then is recorded at frequency rank #23,392, classified as anadv, pronounced \ˈðɛn\. think is at rank #13,280, tagged as averb, pronounced \θɪŋk\.
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 36672, this pair ranks #267,957 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of then vs think
Shared letters: hnt. Private to "then": e. Private to "think": ik.
"then" · 4 letters · shape CCVC · "think" · 5 letters · shape CCVCC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Do "then" and "think" mean the same thing in a sentence?
In ordinary French text, does "then" or "think" show up more?
What to do next
Eye-level mix-up between "then" and "think" is sorted above. Next: full entries or other pairs that share a letter shape.
- Full dictionary entry for "then" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "think" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #267,957 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "then" and "think" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "then vs tun". Nearby pair
- Recorded mistypes exist for at least one side of this pair, useful when a spell-checker or OCR lands on the wrong form. See mistypes
Confusion rank #267,957 of 440,172 scored French pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.