# Different from, to or than? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 1, 2018, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/different-from-to-or-than/809843 "2018-03-01T18:13:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2018, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/different-from-to-or-than/809843/1 "2018-03-01T18:13:47Z")
Lately I’ve been noticing a lot of people typing “different to” as in “My brother’s recipe is different to mine” and that sounds so wrong to me. For a while I thought that I, personally, used ‘different from’ but, after paying close attention to the words that actually come out of my mouth, I realized I say ‘different than’ most of the time. Which do you say? Which is correct? ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2018, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/different-from-to-or-than/809843/2 "2018-03-01T18:21:11Z")
Always “from”, and it grates on me to hear “to.” (There is one commercial for denture toothpaste where a “dentist” is explaining how dentures are “different to” real teeth–I never don’t notice it.) ---
**Author:** ![Crotalus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crotalus/32/41_2.png) [@Crotalus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crotalus)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2018, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/different-from-to-or-than/809843/3 "2018-03-01T18:25:53Z")
“Different from” for me. I think “Different to” might be a British form. ---
**Author:** ![x-ray\_vision](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/x-ray_vision/32/351_2.png) [@x-ray\_vision](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/x-ray_vision)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2018, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/different-from-to-or-than/809843/4 "2018-03-01T18:29:35Z")
Regarding _different from_ and _different than_. > [@](#): > > When in doubt, stick with _different from_. However, note that there is a time and place for _different than_. When what follows is a clause, _than_ can be the more elegant choice: _My grandmother looks different than I remember. From_ works best when what follows is a noun or noun phrase: _My grandmother looks different from that old photograph of her._ > **[Is It "Different Than" Or "Different From"?](https://www.thesaurus.com/e/grammar/different-from-vs-different-than/)** > > Both "different from" and "different than" are accepted in the English language. But which one is right? ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2018, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/different-from-to-or-than/809843/5 "2018-03-01T18:36:42Z")
> [@x-ray\_vision](#): > > Regarding _different from_ and _different than_. > > > [@](#): > > > > When in doubt, stick with different from. However, note that there is a time and place for different than. When what follows is a clause, than can be the more elegant choice: My grandmother looks different than I remember. From works best when what follows is a noun or noun phrase: My grandmother looks different from that old photograph of her. > > [“Different From” vs. “Different Than” | Thesaurus.com](http://www.dictionary.com/e/different-from-or-different-than/) I would have written: “My grandmother looks different from what I remember.” In this case, “what I remember” functions as a noun phrase. Here’s the rules I stick to for comparisons/contrasts/equations: “X is different from Y” “X is the same as Y” “X is greater/less than Y” “X is similar/identical/equal to Y” ---
**Author:** ![MrAtoz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@MrAtoz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrAtoz)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2018, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/different-from-to-or-than/809843/6 "2018-03-01T18:55:11Z")
> [@Crotalus](#): > > “Different from” for me. I think “Different to” might be a British form. That’s my understanding as well. “Different to” is largely British. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2018, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/different-from-to-or-than/809843/7 "2018-03-01T18:59:11Z")
Depends on where you’re from, for the most part. I say “different than,” but “different from” when I’m being careful and around grammar sticklers. “Different to” is for the Brits (and other UK English speakers), as noted. ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2018, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/different-from-to-or-than/809843/8 "2018-03-01T19:04:38Z")
> **[Google Books Ngram Viewer](https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=different%2Bfrom%2Cdifferent%2Bto%2Cdifferent%2Bthan&year_start=1800&year_end=2018&corpus=15&smoothing=3&share=&direct_url=t1%3B%2Cdifferent%20from%3B%2Cc0%3B.t1%3B%2Cdifferent%20to%3B%2Cc0%3B.t1%3B%2Cdifferent%20than%3B%2Cc0)** > > Google Books Ngram Viewer “Different from” is vastly more common, see above. But -to and -than do seem to have risen in frequency markedly in the last few decades. ---
**Author:** ![Patx2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/73ab20/32.png) [@Patx2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patx2)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2018, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/different-from-to-or-than/809843/9 "2018-03-01T19:52:11Z")
I’d have gone with, my brother’s recipe is different THAN mine. I just always thought than was used when comparing/contrasting. ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2018, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/different-from-to-or-than/809843/10 "2018-03-01T22:31:25Z")
I say different **from,** but I’m aware that battle was lost a long time ago. I’m not going to correct anyone over it. ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2018, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/different-from-to-or-than/809843/11 "2018-03-01T23:16:51Z")
I agree that “different to” is British. I would usually use “from”, but consider the sentence: “they are more different than identical twins would be”. But of course, there is an elided phrase “from each other”. Anyway, it is a different usage of “than”. To hijack this thread, I will absolutely insist that the sentence: “John is taller than me” is correct. “Than” is simply being a preposition in that context and don’t try to tell me otherwise. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2018, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/different-from-to-or-than/809843/12 "2018-03-02T00:07:52Z")
always “from” ---
**Author:** ![Graymalkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/35a633/32.png) [@Graymalkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Graymalkin)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2018, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/different-from-to-or-than/809843/13 "2018-03-02T01:43:20Z")
from ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2018, 6:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/different-from-to-or-than/809843/14 "2018-03-03T06:09:55Z")
I used “different than” most commonly, but there are times where I’d use “different from” as well. Generally I seem to use “different from” for short objects, like “She’s different from me,” but “different than” for phrases “She’s different than she looks.” I do, however, tend to use “different from what…,” “That’s different from what you said earlier,” albeit, not exclusively. I can’t think of any time I’ve used “different to.” I guess I might if the other person was using it. Same with the above, as none of this is so fixed that I feel any problem saying it the other way. And I always wind up adapting to the speaker. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2018, 8:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/different-from-to-or-than/809843/15 "2018-03-03T08:11:10Z")
I believe “different to” is mainly a British usage and used to see it in Thailand a lot. (Lots of Brits, Aussies etc there.) Here is what the _[American Heritage Dictionary](https://ahdictionary.com/word/search.html?q=different)_ says about it: “ **Usage Note:** The phrases _different from_ and _different than_ are both common in British and American English. The British also use the construction _different to_. Since the 18th century, language critics have singled out _different than_ as incorrect when used before nouns and noun phrases, though it is well attested in the works of reputable writers. Traditionally, _from_ is used when the comparison is between two persons or things: \*My book is different from \* [not _than_] _yours_. Note that noun phrases, including ones that have clauses in them, also fall into this category: _The campus is different from the way it was the last time you were here._ The Usage Panel is divided on the acceptability of _different than_ with nouns and noun phrases, with a majority finding several of these constructions unacceptable. In our 2004 survey, 57 percent rejected the use of _different than_ with a gerund in the sentence _Caring for children with disabilities in a regular child-care setting is not new and, in many cases, is not particularly different than caring for other children._ Roughly the same percentage (55) disapproved of the construction with a noun phrase containing a clause in _The new kid felt that the coach’s treatment of him was different than that of the other players who were on the team last year._ Some 60 percent rejected the sentence _New York seemed very different than Rome, where they’d been on good terms._ There should be no complaint, however, when the object of comparison is expressed by a full clause: _The campus is different than it was twenty years ago._” ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2018, 8:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/different-from-to-or-than/809843/16 "2018-03-03T08:31:52Z")
I think I say “from” but now I’ve just said all three so often they all sound wrong. ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2018, 11:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/different-from-to-or-than/809843/17 "2018-03-03T11:08:56Z")
> [@AskNott](#): > > I say different **from,** but I’m aware that battle was lost a long time ago. I’m not going to correct anyone over it. This. I have a degree in English, and it is different from. I just looked it up in three different style guides I have. One is old, one is from the late 80s, when I was in college, and one is just a couple of years old. They all agree that “different” takes the preposition “from,” although the recent book accepts “different than” as informal, even though “than” is not a preposition. In other words, don’t write it, but if it comes out of your mouth, don’t sweat it. I have no idea where “different to” comes from. People who use it are not adding some shade of difference. I’m still struggling to get used to the new usage “close with” to describe emotional closeness, rather than proximity, which “close to” still describes. “Close to” used to be used for both. I accept that “close with” fills a need, but I still don’t use it myself. If there were some distinction between the use of “different from” and “different to,” I could deal with it, but there isn’t. It isn’t like the difference between being “in the hospital” and “at the hospital.” ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2018, 11:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/different-from-to-or-than/809843/18 "2018-03-03T11:28:17Z")
> [@RivkahChaya](#): > > This. I have a degree in English, and it is different from. What about your degree in English allows you to deduce this? The choice of preposition “from” vs “to” is completely arbitrary. It’s possible to defend some variants in English as superior on various grounds, but not here. Nothing but consensus usage could possibly govern which is correct. I agree that it is “from”, but only in the sense that this is empirically supported as (overwhelmingly) the most common usage. If usage drifts in the future to make “to” a more common variant, why do you imagine that some “battle” must be waged? ---
**Author:** ![hibernicus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hibernicus/32/2802_2.png) [@hibernicus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hibernicus)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2018, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/different-from-to-or-than/809843/19 "2018-03-03T22:13:14Z")
In my dialect of English “from” and “to” are equally acceptable and there is no difference in meaning. I am not sure but I think I usually say “from”. “Different than” just sounds weird to me. Not informal or improper, just weird and jarring, as if someone said “different over” or some other odd choice of preposition. But “other than” is fine, so there is no logic to it, just what I am used to. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2018, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/different-from-to-or-than/809843/20 "2018-03-03T22:55:38Z")
> [@Riemann](#): > > What about your degree in English allows you to deduce this? > > The choice of preposition “from” vs “to” is completely arbitrary. It’s possible to defend some variants in English as superior on various grounds, but not here. Nothing but consensus usage could possibly govern which is correct. > > I agree that it is “from”, but only in the sense that this is empirically supported as (overwhelmingly) the most common usage. If usage drifts in the future to make “to” a more common variant, why do you imagine that some “battle” must be waged? Just for fun, I searched using Google on the Dope the three phrases, and the breakdown seems to be (if you believe Google’s estimated hits): “different from”: 32,700 (57%) “different than”: 20,100 (35%) “different to”: 4,220 (7.5%) Google n-gram will give you a much higher spread between “different from” and “different than,” but that’s going to reflect more formal English written practices. At any rate, the n-gram viewer does show an increase in the usage of “different than” starting at around 1960. But “different from” shows up about 10 times as much as “different than,” which shows up about twice as much as “different to.” [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/different-from-to-or-than/809843.md?page=2)