Than vs. then: What’s the difference? The word than is used for comparisons to show who or what something is compared against. For example,“cats are smarter than dogs.” The word then is used to show time, as in “at that time” or “after that happened.” For example,“I exercised then took a shower.” When to use than A conjunction is a word that connects two clauses or coordinates words in the same clause. Than is a conjunction used to introduce the second part of an unequal ... When should we use then vs. than ? Even native English speakers confuse these! Let's learn the difference between then and than with examples. To keep this pair of words straight, 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. Than (for comparisons) is the word to choose in phrases like smaller than , bolder than , and easier said than done. This lesson explains the difference between THEN and THAN : illustrations, definitions, examples, tips, practice story, final quiz, and answers. In this lesson, we will be going over a pair of words that even native English speakers often have trouble using correctly. The two words are then and than . They both look and sound very much alike, so it can be hard to know when to use one vs. the other, but it is very important that you do know the difference, because they have different meanings ...