that vs than

Short diagnostic guide with ready-to-drop rewrites. If a sentence feels off, paste it and fix it in 10 seconds.

Focus: decide whether the word should be than (comparison) or that (clause/pointing), with many real examples for work, school, and casual use.

Quick answer

Use than for comparisons (bigger than, more than, rather than). Use that to introduce a clause or point to something (the book that I bought; I told him that).

Comparing two things? Use than.
Introducing or identifying a clause or noun? Use that.
Quick tests: substitute "compared to" (fits → than) or "who/which" (fits → that).

Core grammar: the simple rule (and the small exceptions)

Than is a conjunction used only for comparison: degree, preference, quantity, or order (faster than, more than, earlier than).

That is a demonstrative or a relative conjunction used to point to something or introduce a defining clause (the idea that..., the man that walked in...).

They can appear in the same sentence: He said that the meeting was later than usual. Formal usage prefers "than I" (implied verb: "am"); "than me" is common in speech.

Use than after comparatives: better than, less than, more than, sooner than.
Use that to start a clause that modifies a noun or to introduce reported speech: She thought that...
If a full clause follows than, include the verb: She is taller than I am.

Comparison example: My car is faster than yours.
Clause example: The book that won the award is selling out.

Real usage & tricky cases

Mark the function of the word: is it linking two alternatives (comparison) or opening a clause (identification or reported speech)? If the role is unclear, rewrite for clarity.

Both-correct: She said that the plan is better than ours. ('that' introduces reported speech; 'than' compares plans.)
Ambiguous: He likes Sarah more than John. Clarify: He likes Sarah more than he likes John (comparison of people) or He likes Sarah more than John does (comparison of liking).
When a sentence can be parsed two ways, pick the clearer rewrite.

Both: He said that he'd arrive earlier than expected.
Ambiguous: She likes him more than me. → She likes him more than she likes me.

Fast rewrite help - templates you can paste

Spot a wrong that/than? Pick the template that matches your intent and paste in X/Y. Use clarifying templates for short, ambiguous sentences.

Simple comparison: X is [comparative] than Y. → My car is faster than yours.
Clause/identification: The [noun] that [verb phrase]. → The student that submitted late gets partial credit.
Clarify short forms: Instead of "She likes him more than me," write "She likes him more than she likes me" or "She likes him more than John does."

Rewrite:
Wrong: My car is faster that yours. →
Right: My car is faster than yours.
Rewrite:
Wrong: I need a tool that cuts better than others. (unclear) →
Right: I need a tool that cuts better than other tools do.
Rewrite:
Wrong: Our timeline is more aggressive that planned. →
Right: Our timeline is more aggressive than we had planned.
Template: Preference: I would rather [verb A] than [verb B]. → I would rather read than watch TV.

Clear wrong → right pairs (copy these)

Each wrong sentence below misuses that/than. The right sentence fixes the word and, when needed, offers a clearer rewrite.

Pair 1: Wrong: My car is faster that yours. →
Right: My car is faster than yours.
Pair 2: Wrong: She is taller that me. →
Right: She is taller than me. (
Formal: She is taller than I.)
Pair 3: Wrong: I'd rather read that watch TV. →
Right: I'd rather read than watch TV.
Pair 4: Wrong: The cost was less that expected. →
Right: The cost was less than expected.
Pair 5: Wrong: He insisted that his method was better that hers. →
Right: He insisted that his method was better than hers.
Pair 6: Wrong: The device that I bought is faster that the old one. →
Right: The device that I bought is faster than the old one.
Pair 7: Wrong: First do this, that do that. →
Right: First do this, then do that. (then = time order)
Pair 8: Wrong: The idea that more research is needed than we thought. →
Right: The idea that more research is needed than we thought. (Keep 'that' to introduce the idea; 'than' makes the comparison.)

Work examples - professional and concise

At work, a wrong that/than can look careless. Be explicit with numbers and responsibilities.

Put than immediately after the comparative phrase when comparing metrics.
Use that to introduce reported findings or statements; keep the verb to avoid ambiguity.

Work 1: Wrong: Our Q2 revenue was higher that Q1. →
Right: Our Q2 revenue was higher than Q1.
Work 2: Wrong: We submitted a report that shows greater growth that forecasted. →
Right: We submitted a report that shows greater growth than forecasted.
Work 3: Wrong: The vendor that we selected offers a better rate that the others. →
Right: The vendor that we selected offers a better rate than the others. Or: The vendor we selected offers a better rate than the others do.

Try your own sentence

Test the whole sentence rather than a phrase. Context usually makes the correct choice obvious.

School and academic examples

Academic writing favors full clauses and formal case, especially when ambiguity affects interpretation.

Prefer "than I" (with implied verb) in formal prose; "than me" is fine in informal contexts.
When comparing experimental groups, use adverbial comparatives correctly (more strongly than).

School 1: Wrong: The control group reacted stronger that the experimental group. →
Right: The control group reacted more strongly than the experimental group.
School 2: Wrong: This essay argues that modern art is more influential that classical art. →
Right: This essay argues that modern art is more influential than classical art.
School 3: Wrong: She concluded that the treatment worked better that placebo. →
Right: She concluded that the treatment worked better than the placebo.

Casual examples - text, social, and chat

Casual writing mirrors speech, so errors are common. Keep the tone relaxed but choose the word that makes your meaning clear.

Use than for quick comparisons in chat: "better than" or "worse than."
Use that when pointing to a photo, memory, or specific event: "That photo is great."

Casual 1: Wrong: I'd rather nap that go out tonight. →
Right: I'd rather nap than go out tonight.
Casual 2: Wrong: That pizza is better that the one we had last week. →
Right: That pizza is better than the one we had last week.
Casual 3: Wrong: Remember that time we lost the keys, that was awful. →
Right: Remember that time we lost the keys? That was awful.

Memory tricks, hyphenation & spacing (quick rules)

Two quick tests: substitute "compared to" (fits → than) or "who/which" (fits → that).

Hyphenation: hyphenate when a comparative phrase before a noun acts as a compound modifier: better-than-expected turnout. No hyphen when it follows the noun: The turnout was better than expected.

Spacing: keep normal spacing; don't add extra space before punctuation. Then vs than: then = time/sequence; than = comparison.

Mnemonic: than → comparison; that → clause/point.
Hyphen example: larger-than-life character (before noun) vs the character was larger than life (after noun).
Watch then vs than: First this, then that (sequence) vs X is larger than Y (comparison).

Hyphen: We had better-than-expected sales.
Spacing: Wrong: My car is faster that yours . →
Right: My car is faster than yours.
Then vs than: Wrong: First do this, than do that. →
Right: First do this, then do that.

Similar mistakes to watch for

Writers who mix up that/than often trip over other small words. Ask "what role does the word play?" to pick the right one.

then vs than: then = time/sequence; than = comparison.
that vs which: that for restrictive clauses (no commas); which for nonrestrictive clauses (with commas) in formal usage.
to/two/too and your/you're - small words with big meaning shifts; read sentences aloud to catch them.

Which vs that: Wrong: The car, that I bought, broke down. →
Right: The car that I bought broke down. (Restrictive: no commas.)
Then vs than: Wrong: Do this than that. →
Right: Do this then that.

FAQ

Is it ever correct to use "that" in a sentence with a comparison?

Yes-when "that" introduces a clause and the sentence also contains a separate comparison. Example: She said that the test was easier than she expected. 'That' starts the clause; 'than' makes the comparison.

Which is correct: "taller than I" or "taller than me"?

"Taller than I" is more formal (implying "taller than I am"). "Taller than me" is common in speech and informal writing. Match the formality to your audience.

How do I quickly test which word to use?

Substitute "compared to"-if it fits, use than. Substitute "who/which"-if it fits, use that. If still unsure, rewrite the sentence so the role is explicit.

Should comparative modifiers be hyphenated?

Hyphenate when the phrase is a compound modifier before a noun (better-than-expected results). Do not hyphenate when it follows the noun (The results were better than expected).

Can a grammar checker always catch these errors?

Most tools catch common swaps, but ambiguous contexts can fool them. Use a checker, then confirm the suggested change matches your intended meaning.

Want to check one sentence now?

Paste a sentence into a grammar checker to see whether it recommends swapping that ↔ than and why. Read the explanation and use the templates above to produce the exact rewrite you need for work, school, or casual writing.