Comparison with 'than', e.g. 'bigger then (than)'

Writers often swap than and then. Use than for comparisons and then for time, sequence, or consequence. Below are tight rules, memory tricks, focused grammar notes, plenty of wrong/right pairs, and ready rewrites you can paste into emails, essays, or texts.

Quick answer

Than = comparison. Then = time, order, or consequence.

Comparing two things? Use than: taller than, more than, fewer than.
Talking about time or sequence? Use then: then we left, back then, if X then Y.
Substitution test: if "after that" or "at that time" fits, use then; otherwise use than.

Core difference and short rules

Than introduces the thing being compared. Then marks when something happens or what happens next.

Test 1 (meaning): Is the sentence comparing two items? → than.
Test 2 (substitution): Replace the word with "after that" or "at that time". If it makes sense, use then.
Test 3 (clues): Sequence words (first, next, afterward) point to then.

Memory tricks that stick

Quick hooks that work in the moment:

Than has an "a"-think "as" in comparisons.
Then has an "e"-think "event" or "next."
Ask the implicit question: "Which one?" → than. "What happens next?" → then.

Grammar details: comparisons, omitted words, and pronoun case

Than can introduce a full clause with an implied verb: "She is taller than (she is)." In speech, "than me" is common; in formal writing prefer "than I (am)" or rephrase to avoid the issue.

Parallelism: Keep the same structure on both sides (adjective to adjective, verb phrase to verb phrase).
Pronouns: Formal: "He is smarter than I (am)." Informal: "He is smarter than me."
Numerals: Use than with quantities: "more than 50 people."

Wrong: She is more experienced then me.
Formal: She is more experienced than I am.
Casual: She is more experienced than me.

Small edits make your writing look professional

Swapping than and then looks like a typo but undermines credibility. Simple habits catch most slips: read aloud, use the substitution test, and re-check comparisons after edits.

Apply these checks to emails, reports, and slides for quick polish.

Spacing, typos, and autocorrect traps

Fast typing, copy-paste, and aggressive autocorrect often flip than and then. Re-check connectors when you reword sentences.

Read comparison sentences slowly-typing speed causes most errors.
Add "than" to your personal dictionary or train autocorrect to prefer the right word.
After editing, re-run the substitution test since the role of the word may have changed.

Wrong: Our sales grew then expected.
Work - Right: Our sales grew more than expected.
Wrong: I liked the movie more then I thought.
Casual - Right: I liked the movie more than I thought.

Hyphenation and line breaks

Line breaks can split comparative phrases and create confusion. Hyphenated modifiers don't change than/then rules but may hide errors during edits.

Avoid breaking "bigger than expected" across lines in tight layouts.
When you add hyphenated modifiers, re-check nearby connectors for accidental swaps.
On slides or captions, prefer short rewrites to preserve clarity rather than forcing a line-break fix.

Wrong: Q2 results were better then we had forecast.
Work - Right: Q2 results were better than we had forecast.

Try your own sentence

Test the whole sentence rather than the isolated phrase-context usually makes the correct choice obvious.

Real usage and tone - when strict grammar matters

Then is stable across registers. Than shifts with formality: "than I" is preferred in formal writing; "than me" is fine in speech and informal text. When clarity or tone matters-academic papers, proposals, published copy-use formal constructions or rewrite to avoid ambiguity.

Work: Use "than I" or rephrase ("X exceeded Y by...") in formal reports.
School: Prefer formal comparisons in essays unless the instructor prefers otherwise.
Casual: Use what sounds natural, but never use then when you mean than.

Incorrect: Our product is more reliable then last year's model.
Correct: Our product is more reliable than last year's model.

Examples: common wrong → right pairs (work / school / casual)

Grouped examples show the frequent mistakes and safe corrections. When useful, a short rewrite is provided.

Wrong: The proposal was accepted then the board reviewed it.
Work - Right: The proposal was accepted, then the board reviewed it.
Wrong: Our team closed more deals then projected.
Work - Right: Our team closed more deals than projected.
Wrong: Her GPA is higher then mine.
School - Right: Her GPA is higher than mine.
Wrong: The lecture was more interesting then I thought.
School - Right: The lecture was more interesting than I thought.
Wrong: I'd rather stay home then go out tonight.
Casual - Right: I'd rather stay home than go out tonight.
Wrong: This is bigger then you realize.
Casual - Right: This is bigger than you realize.

Rewrite help: fix common sentences quickly

Three fast tactics:

Swap then → than when it's a comparison; if awkward, expand the clause ("than I expected").
Rephrase to remove the pronoun issue ("more useful than the previous version").
Use clear prepositions for lists ("prefer X to Y" instead of "prefer X than Y").

Wrong: He's smarter then he looks.
Rewrite: He's smarter than he looks.
Wrong: I prefer coffee then tea.
Rewrite: I prefer coffee to tea. (or) I prefer coffee rather than tea.
Wrong: More then 30 people RSVPed.
Rewrite: More than 30 people RSVPed.
Wrong: Lower then expected performance should worry us.
Rewrite: Lower-than-expected performance should worry us. (hyphenate compound modifier)

Similar mistakes to watch for

Writers who flip than/then often confuse other small words. The same checks-substitution and reading aloud-catch most of these errors.

their / there / they're - possession vs. place vs. contraction.
affect / effect - try "influence" (affect) or "result" (effect).
fewer / less - "how many?" (fewer) vs. "how much?" (less).
then / than - "after that" fits then; "which one" fits than.

Usage: Their argument was stronger than ours.
Usage: There was a delay, then production resumed.
School - Usage: She had fewer questions than the rest of the class.

FAQ

Which is correct after comparative adjectives: than or then?

Use than. Comparative adjectives pair with than: "she is taller than I." Use then only for time or sequence.

Is "than me" acceptable?

"Than me" is common and acceptable in informal speech. For formal writing prefer "than I (am)" or rewrite to avoid the pronoun choice.

Can then ever mean comparison?

No. Then refers to time, order, or consequence. If the sentence compares two things, use than.

How do I stop autocorrect swapping than and then?

Add "than" to your dictionary, choose the correct form repeatedly to train autocorrect, and enable a grammar checker that flags context-based errors.

Quick checklist to fix a sentence using than or then?

1) Read it aloud; 2) Ask "Which one?" vs "What happens next?"; 3) Try replacing with "after that" - if it fits, use then; otherwise use than; 4) If a pronoun follows than, prefer "than I" for formal writing.

Need a quick second pair of eyes?

If you're unsure, run the sentence through a context-aware grammar checker. Use the substitution test plus a quick tool to remove slips before sending important emails or submitting work.