The word “than” means used to introduce the second part of a comparison. In plain terms, the word you use right after a comparative like "bigger," "better," or "more" to say what something is being compared to.

How do you pronounce “than”?

“Than” is pronounced than (/ðæn/ in IPA).

How do you use “than” in a sentence?

Here is “than” used in a sentence: “She runs faster than her brother.”

What part of speech is “than”?

“Than” is a conjunction.

Where does the word “than” come from?

The word “than” comes from Old English. From Old English þonne — originally the same word as "then," which split off as a separate spelling for comparisons.

Is “than” a common word?

“Than” is a very common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A1 level.

What is the difference between than and then?

"Than" introduces the second part of a comparison ("faster than light"), while "then" relates to time or consequence ("we ate, then left"; "if that's true, then I'm wrong"). If you are comparing two things, the word you need is always "than."

Is it "than me" or "than I"?

Both are widely accepted. "Taller than me" treats "than" as a preposition and is standard in everyday English; "taller than I (am)" treats it as a conjunction and suits formal writing. Adding the verb — "than I am" — avoids the debate entirely.

Do you say "different than" or "different from"?

"Different from" is the traditional and safest choice in both British and American English ("this is different from that"). "Different than" is common in American English, especially before a clause ("different than I expected"), while British English also uses "different to."

Is it "no sooner... than" or "no sooner... when"?

The standard pairing is "no sooner... than," as in "no sooner had we left than it started to rain," because "sooner" is a comparative and comparatives take "than." "No sooner... when" is a common error to avoid in careful writing.

Example sentences

Real-world examples showing than in context, drawn from published sources. Any opinions expressed are those of the original source and do not reflect the views of FreeDict.com.

More than 715,000 people had been relocated for safety in Guangdong province, according to state-owned China National Radio.

From CBS News · Jul 25, 2026

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Vocabulary lists that include than:

4 letter words Words that end with N Words that start with T A1 vocabulary words The 100 most common English words The 500 most common English words The 1000 most common English words The 2000 most common English words The 5000 most common English words