Then vs. Than is best helped by beginning with the dictionary meanings.

I'll start with then because it is usually the more unused of the two. Oftentimes it is because the writer doesn't even know the word exists. Because of that unfortunate failing of our schools to our children, the presence of said word will be confirmed here and now for everyone on TONFA to see.

THEN: adverb
1.) at a specified time or a time in question
2.) after that, also, in addition, marking a conclusion
3.) To close a conversation or used at the beginning or end of a sentence to create emphasis on a potentially conversation closing sentence.

When talking about a series of events that have happened in the past, or may happen in the future, the word then can be added after or completely replace the word and.

"I went to the grocery store, then I went back home, and then I put away the groceries."

"I will be going to the market, and then I'll stop by the flower shop to buy some petunias for Aunt Shelly."

The above also had the timeline effect mentioned in the second meaning. This after that. For also and in addition meanings, it might look something like the following:

"Sasuke said he thinks he loves Sakura, but then he said he thinks he might love Hinata."

And when coming to a conclusion, then is used to indicate an inductive kind of reasoning.

"Naruto has a seal mark on his belly and whisker marks on his cheeks. His eyes change color from blue to red when he's extremely angry, and his nails grow and sharpen into claws, too. If those are the indications of containing the Kyuubi, then Naruto must be the boy Yondaime sealed it inside of all those years ago."

As a closing sentence, I'll just post a few examples here;

"Well, let's get to it then." "Then we'll have to hurry up!" "Just forget it then." "Then leave me alone!"

Note that the very presence of the word then creates a different kind of feeling to the sentence than if it was not present.

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On to the most overly and misused word I've seen lately. Than.

THAN: conjunction and/or preposition

1.) introducing the second element in a comparison
2.) used in expressions introducing an exception or contrast
3.) used in expressions indicating one thing happening immediately after another

Note that in the first definition, than is not used to indicate the actual comparison the way that then is. It is simply introducing the thing to be compared, yet it is needed to indicate the comparison none the less.

"He was a lot faster than she was." Faster is the comparison word. Than just sets you up for whom or what the first subject was faster than.

"Choji eats more than his team mates." More gives the comparison, the word than tells you that they eat less because we first know that he eats more.

In the second definition, than is used to indicate an "all but" kind of notion.

"He has less than they think."

It also indicates doing one thing instead of another.

"Kakashi stood and watched the two argue rather than get in the mix of the brewing cat fight between Sakura and Ino."

For the third meaning, than takes on a similar meaning to then when used in the sense of things happening in sequence. The difference is that then indicates a little time passing between events, but than states that it happened immediately or "right then and there."

"No sooner did Naruto hug Hinata than she fainted in his arms."

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We all know that the diferences and similarities in both the meanings and the spelling are frustratingly confusing at times, but there is a reason for that. The two words were once one. They stem from the Old English word thænne which held all of the meanings of then and than. That word is yet another derivative of the German word dann (in Dutch spelled dan) which was related to the words that and the in our present understandings.

So, now you can all go out there and impress your teachers with a bit of historical knowledge about the words then and than.




All of the information I received in order to give the meanings and the knowledge of thænne comes from the default dictionary on my personal Macintosh MacBook. No copyright infringement is intended.