than

than — preposition

1. used when comparing two people, things, or situations to show which one has a pa

1.prepositionA1
Definition

used when comparing two people, things, or situations to show which one has a particular quality to a greater or lesser degree

Example

Théo is taller than his older brother now.

than + noun phrase for direct comparison

This suitcase feels heavier than the one Nkechi was carrying.

Common collocations
  • taller than
  • more than
  • less than
  • better than
  • worse than
  • faster than
  • older than
Synonyms
  • compared to

    used before the second item in a comparison, but functions as a prepositional phrase rather than a conjoining word. E.g., 'tall compared to his brother.'

Grammar Patterns

than + noun phrase

than + object pronoun (me, him, her, us, them)

Usage Note

In formal English, the pronoun after 'than' should be a subject pronoun ('than I') when it is the subject of an implied verb ('than I am'). In everyday speech, object pronouns ('than me') are widely accepted.

Common Mistakes

She is more taller than him.
She is taller than him.
Already use the comparative form (-er or more); don't double-mark the comparison.
I am older then my sister.
I am older than my sister.
'Then' refers to time; 'than' is for comparisons.

2. used after 'more' or 'less' to say a number, amount, distance, or length of time

2.prepositionA2
Definition

used after 'more' or 'less' to say a number, amount, distance, or length of time is larger or smaller than a specific quantity

Example

More than two hundred people came to the festival in town.

more than + specific number

The train ride from Brighton took less than an hour.

less than + time period

Common collocations
  • more than
  • less than
  • fewer than
  • no more than
  • no less than

Grammar Patterns

more than + number

less than + number

Usage Note

For countable items, 'fewer than' is traditionally preferred over 'less than' ('fewer than ten people'), though 'less than' is common in everyday use for both.

Common Mistakes

There was less than twenty students in class.
There were fewer than twenty students in class.
For countable nouns, use 'fewer than' in formal contexts.

3. used in the pattern 'no sooner … than' (or 'hardly … than') to say that one even

3.prepositionB2
Definition

used in the pattern 'no sooner … than' (or 'hardly … than') to say that one event happened immediately after another, often with dramatic effect

Example

No sooner had Théo locked the front door than the phone rang.

no sooner + had + subject + past participle + than

No sooner did Ada sit down to eat than her neighbour knocked on the door.

Common collocations
  • no sooner … than
  • hardly … than
  • scarcely … than
Synonyms
  • as soon as

    simpler, everyday alternative. 'As soon as he locked the door, the phone rang.' No inversion needed.

  • the moment

    also simpler. 'The moment he locked the door, the phone rang.'

Grammar Patterns

no sooner + past perfect + than + past simple

Usage Note

When the phrase begins a sentence ('No sooner had she…'), the subject and verb are inverted — similar to question word order. This pattern is formal or literary in tone.

Common Mistakes

No sooner I had opened the door than the cat ran out.
No sooner had I opened the door than the cat ran out.
The subject and auxiliary verb must be inverted after 'no sooner'.

4. used to mean 'except' or 'apart from', often following words like 'none', 'no on

4.prepositionB1
Definition

used to mean 'except' or 'apart from', often following words like 'none', 'no one', 'nothing', 'anywhere', or 'other'

Example

Nkechi eats nothing other than vegetables for her evening meal.

nothing + other than + noun

No one other than David knew where the spare keys were kept.

no one + other than + noun

Common collocations
  • other than
  • none other than
  • nothing other than
  • no one other than
  • anywhere other than
Synonyms
  • except

    more direct and common in everyday speech. 'Everyone except David knew the code.'

  • apart from

    slightly less formal. 'Apart from vegetables, Nkechi eats nothing.'

Antonyms
  • including

    the opposite of 'except'; adds items rather than excluding them.

Grammar Patterns

other than + noun phrase

none/no one + other than

Idioms

no/none other than

idiom

used to emphasize that a particular person or thing is surprising or very important

The guest speaker was none other than the former Prime Minister herself.

other than

idiom

Used to mean 'except' or 'apart from' when excluding someone or something.

No one other than Maya knew the password to the safe.

The store is open daily other than Sundays and public holidays.

than — conjunction

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: preposition/1

While these words all signal comparison, they differ in structure and focus. 'Than' is the core comparative conjunction/preposition, requiring a comparative adjective ('bigger than', 'more expensive than'). 'Compared to' draws a direct parallel between two items and is slightly more formal: 'This year's sales are low compared to last year's.' 'As opposed to' highlights contrast or difference rather than degree: 'He chose tea as opposed to coffee.' 'Versus' (often abbreviated 'vs.') is used to set two things against each other, especially in competition or contrast: 'The match was Brazil versus Argentina.' For everyday comparisons of degree, 'than' is the simplest and most common choice. For introducing a contrasting example or alternative, 'compared to' or 'as opposed to' often sounds more natural.

than ↗compared toas opposed to ↗versus ↗

Common collocations

Adverbs

  • much more/less than
  • far more/less than
  • a lot more/less than
  • no more/less than
  • rather than
  • other than

Phrases

Etymology

Proto-GermanicOld EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

The word 'than' comes from Old English 'þanne' (pronounced 'than-ne'), which meant both 'then' (in time) and 'than' (in comparison). It is related to 'the' and 'that', all from the same ancient root meaning 'that one'. In the Middle English period (roughly 1100–1500), the time meaning gradually took the spelling 'then' while the comparison meaning took the spelling 'than', though the two words were still often used interchangeably until the 1700s.