# 'Then' and 'Than'. Two different words. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [June 8, 2004, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/then-and-than-two-different-words/249331 "2004-06-08T20:52:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Dog80](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/6bbea6/32.png) [@Dog80](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dog80)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2004, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/then-and-than-two-different-words/249331/1 "2004-06-08T20:52:16Z")
‘Then’ and ‘Than’. Two different words. They can’t be used interchangeably. I am amazed how many people confuse them. ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2004, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/then-and-than-two-different-words/249331/2 "2004-06-08T21:00:04Z")
There are threads that are much better then this one. I figured I’d pop in, make some smart remarks, than leave. ---
**Author:** ![Dog80](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/6bbea6/32.png) [@Dog80](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dog80)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2004, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/then-and-than-two-different-words/249331/3 "2004-06-08T21:18:12Z")
Sorry. I should have added “lame” to the thread title. And BTW, I pit you for confusing then and than 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2004, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/then-and-than-two-different-words/249331/4 "2004-06-08T21:18:50Z")
Your and You’re are the ones that make me nuts and Their and They’re. But since I make so many typos, I _usually_ try to let things like that slide. ---
**Author:** ![gum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bbe5ce/32.png) [@gum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gum)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2004, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/then-and-than-two-different-words/249331/5 "2004-06-08T21:31:03Z")
Don’t forget “no” and “know”. I saw some threads using “I no”. Geez, and all this from a stupid Dutchie. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![jastu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/43a26b/32.png) [@jastu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jastu)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2004, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/then-and-than-two-different-words/249331/6 "2004-06-08T21:55:07Z")
The confusion between _then_ and _than_ is a pet peeve of mine as I’ve mentioned here before. Thank you **Dog80** , it’s good to see someone else is annoyed by this too. ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2004, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/then-and-than-two-different-words/249331/7 "2004-06-08T22:01:56Z")
ITS is not the same as IT’S. The first one is the possessive of “it.” It means “belonging to it.” The second one means “it is” or “it has”. A contraction of two words! Joined by an apostrophe! Whodathunk. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2004, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/then-and-than-two-different-words/249331/8 "2004-06-08T22:08:45Z")
The one that gets me is “aren’t I?”. I usually respond, “Yes, and I are, too!” ---
**Author:** ![Rufus\_Xavier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eada6e/32.png) [@Rufus\_Xavier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rufus_Xavier)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2004, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/then-and-than-two-different-words/249331/9 "2004-06-08T23:08:09Z")
how 'bout this one: lose and loose actually, no one ever types lose for loose, but the other way, well… let’s just say it’s gotten to the point where it almost looks normal to me. ---
**Author:** ![Mauvaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mauvaise/32/11084_2.png) [@Mauvaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mauvaise)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2004, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/then-and-than-two-different-words/249331/10 "2004-06-08T23:23:20Z")
> [@Khadaji](#): > > Your and You’re are the ones that make me nuts and Their and They’re. But since I make so many typos, I _usually_ try to let things like that slide. My problem is that sometimes my fingers have a mind of their (:: checks :🙂 own. I _know_ the difference between ‘your’ and ‘you’re’ and ‘there’ and ‘their’, but my fingers will just type whatever they seem to want at the time, without any respect for what is supposed to be there (:: checks again ::). And even if I do preview, my mind will read what I meant, rather than what is there, at least it does until AFTER I submit. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Dog80](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/6bbea6/32.png) [@Dog80](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dog80)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2004, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/then-and-than-two-different-words/249331/11 "2004-06-08T23:44:23Z")
**pizzabrat** , consider yourself pitted for this phrase: “We all no that there’s nothing funny about drunkedness” 😃 (from: [boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=260211](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=260211)) ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2004, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/then-and-than-two-different-words/249331/12 "2004-06-09T02:48:41Z")
> [@Mauvaise](#): > > My problem is that sometimes my fingers have a mind of their (:: checks :🙂 own. I _know_ the difference between ‘your’ and ‘you’re’ and ‘there’ and ‘their’, but my fingers will just type whatever they seem to want at the time, without any respect for what is supposed to be there (:: checks again ::). And even if I do preview, my mind will read what I meant, rather than what is there, at least it does until AFTER I submit. :rolleyes: One thing that I do is type something like “I take your point” but it comes out “I take you point.” I touch type and am pretty darn sure that I hit the ‘r’, but I suspect that for some reason I hit it a little too lightly. Every time I see it I cringe… ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2004, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/then-and-than-two-different-words/249331/13 "2004-06-09T05:38:15Z")
> [@Khadaji](#): > > One thing that I do is type something like “I take your point” but it comes out “I take you point.” I touch type and am pretty darn sure that I hit the ‘r’, but I suspect that for some reason I hit it a little too lightly. Every time I see it I cringe… Now I burning you dog! ---
**Author:** ![Shade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2bfe46/32.png) [@Shade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shade)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2004, 10:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/then-and-than-two-different-words/249331/14 "2004-06-09T10:34:43Z")
At least they are spelt nearly the same. “ie” and “eg” mean opposite things, are spelt and pronounced with no overlap, and as far as I can see the only things they have in common are (1) having two letters and (2) ok, admittedly, linking two similar things. But _this doesn’t mean they’re the same FUCKING word, people!_ You don’t need to know latin to work it out! ---
**Author:** ![PookahMacPhellimey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pookahmacphellimey/32/3175_2.png) [@PookahMacPhellimey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PookahMacPhellimey)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2004, 10:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/then-and-than-two-different-words/249331/15 "2004-06-09T10:54:55Z")
> [@Shade](#): > > At least they are spelt nearly the same. Spelt? I hope you are whooshing me here… Anyway, I’m with the people who say that their fingers don’t do what they want all of the time. I actually understand all the examples given, but I know I make those mistakes in posts all the same. For all but the most stupid poster I will therefore consider those typos rather than ignorance. ---
**Author:** ![WotNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e19b73/32.png) [@WotNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WotNot)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2004, 11:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/then-and-than-two-different-words/249331/16 "2004-06-09T11:04:08Z")
> [@PookahMacPhellimey](#): > > Spelt? I hope you are whooshing me here… Nah. Spelt = Spelled: ie the inflected form of Spell. More cromulent in the UK than the US apparently… ---
**Author:** ![kabbes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e99b99/32.png) [@kabbes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kabbes)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2004, 11:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/then-and-than-two-different-words/249331/17 "2004-06-09T11:08:25Z")
[Spelt](http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary?book=Dictionary&va=spelt). Crops up regularly, this one, just because it is rare in the US. But we invented the language, guys! We can use our spellings as we see fit! pan ---
**Author:** ![PookahMacPhellimey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pookahmacphellimey/32/3175_2.png) [@PookahMacPhellimey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PookahMacPhellimey)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2004, 11:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/then-and-than-two-different-words/249331/18 "2004-06-09T11:50:29Z")
My apologies. I had never come across it before. I stand corrected. I’m not American, so I should have known better. :o ---
**Author:** ![Futile\_Gesture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f05b48/32.png) [@Futile\_Gesture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Futile_Gesture)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2004, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/then-and-than-two-different-words/249331/19 "2004-06-09T11:58:55Z")
Spelt Dealt Dreamt Smelt Learnt Leant Burnt Spilt Spoilt Knelt Dwelt Irregular verbs done **properly**. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![N.Sane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f19dbf/32.png) [@N.Sane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N.Sane)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2004, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/then-and-than-two-different-words/249331/20 "2004-06-09T13:15:03Z")
I no there is nothing more irritating then seeing a sine that says: Resume’s Printed Here I mean, hello!? Resume’s what? Who is Resume? Why was he printed there? But than I just chalk it up to ignorance. 😃 Seriously, it amazes me how many people/companies will not bother to have their ad copy checked by someone who actually knows something about grammar. I’ve caught grammatical mistakes on ads painted on the sides of cars, on billboards–heck, I even found a mistake on a flyer from Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory! :smack: [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/then-and-than-two-different-words/249331.md?page=2)