Than is a conjunction and adverb used to introduce comparisons or contrasts (e.g., 'more than enough') and in certain expressions. It can also function as an adjective in idiomatic phrases. It is a short, unstressed word that typically appears in speech with a reduced vowel and a crisp dental fricative sound, depending on the speaker's accent.
"Her discovery was greater than I expected."
"Only a few students performed better than the rest."
"It's more urgent now than before."
"Thank you, I appreciate your help—though I doubted it, I’m grateful."
Than comes from Old English thanne, which originally served as an adverb meaning 'then' or 'afterwards' but gradually shifted to its modern conjunction role in comparisons. The development of than is tied to the Germanic roots as seen in related forms in Old Norse thānu and Gothic than, with the semantic drift toward a comparative marker by the Middle English period. By the 12th–14th centuries, than was established as the standard comparative conjunction in English, coexisting with other comparative particles such as as. The word’s phonology reflects its Germanic heritage: a short, unstressed vowel in most dialects and a consonant sequence that favors a dental fricative [θ] in many accents, sometimes realized as a dental stop [t̪] or a fricative [ð] in linked speech. The first known uses appear in medieval texts, where than functioned in pro- and post-posed comparative clauses, and over time its usage broadened to include idiomatic ‘than ever’, ‘than usual’, and fixed expressions with varying syntactic placements. In contemporary English, than is almost always a standalone function word rather than a lexical content word, functioning as a hinge in comparative statements and a fixed part of phrases such as “than that” or “than you think.”
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Than" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "Than"
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Pronounce it as /ðæn/ in US/UK/AU varieties. The initial dental fricative /ð/ is produced with the tongue touching the upper teeth and a small breath, then the short vowel /æ/ as in 'cat', followed by an unvoiced nasal/stop blend depending on surrounding sounds. In rapid speech you may hear a lighter, clipped /ðn/; still, keeping the /æ/ helps listeners identify the comparison sense. Mouth position: tongue front, blade near the teeth, lips relaxed, jaw slightly lowered.
Common mistakes include substituting /t/ or /d/ for the /ð/ sound (pronouncing as 'tan') and moving to a full vowel length rather than a short /æ/. Some speakers reduce /ð/ to a simple /n/ or omit the vowel entirely in connected speech ('n' sound only). To correct: place tongue between teeth and create a voiced th (/ð/), then follow with /æ/ quickly and reduce the word’s vowel length through relaxed jaw and breath control. Practice with minimal pairs like 'than' vs 'tan' to feel the contrast.
In US, UK, and AU, /ð/ in 'than' is generally voiced and dental; the main variation is the subsequent vowel. US tends to be slightly flatter and shorter /æ/; UK often has a more open /æ/ with less vowel reduction in some dialects; AU can vary from /æ/ to a slightly wider mouth opening, with less rhotic influence on the vowel. All share the /ð/ initial, but the quality of /æ/ and voicing may shift with surrounding consonants and stress patterns. Context can also affect flapping or voicing in connected speech in American varieties.
The challenge lies in the initial /ð/ sound, which many learners struggle to place the tongue correctly between the teeth and to voice without too much friction. The /æ/ vowel requires a short, open mouth position, not a long or tense vowel, and it must hatch quickly into the following sound in rapid speech. For speakers of languages without dental fricatives or with different vowel inventories, both the place of articulation and the need for a light, reduced vowel make 'than' a frequent source of mispronunciation.
In extremely rapid casual speech, some speakers may shorten the vowel and link to the following word, producing a near-silent /æ/ or a very reduced /ð/. You may hear [ðən] with a nearly reduced vowel or even [ðn] when the following word starts with a consonant. However, fully omitting /ð/ or /æ/ can confuse listeners. Emphasizing the /ð/ and the short /æ/ at a careful pace preserves clarity even in fast sentences.
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