It's been a few hundred years, however, since English has treated them as distinct, which means we have to too. In Middle English, they were the same word both spellings were used for all the various meanings. Linguistically speaking, they're identical twins. So when did this pair get so confusing? Turns out they've always been that way. And also in hardly had I explained it than and scarcely had I explained it than. So in "No sooner had I explained the rule than an exception came to mind," it's than not then that's required. In a handful of cases, though, than is used to say that something happens immediately after something else-that is, it's used when you're talking about something relating to time. It's also in the phrases and then some, every now and then, and even then. Then-the option to choose when time is involved-fits in the phrases just then and back then, and after words like since and until. ![]() And it's the word that follows other, rather, less, and more. ![]() Than is the word to choose in phrases like smaller than, smoother than, and further than. The way to keep the pair straight is to focus on this basic difference: than is used when you're talking about comparisons then is used when you're talking about something relating to time. People get tripped up on then and than all the time-and why not? They look and sound so similar, and both words function as linguistic workhorses- then is most often an adverb, while than is usually a conjunction-which means that we mostly use them to connect more obviously significant nouns, verbs, and adjectives.
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