The standard phrase is more than, not more then, when you are making a comparison or talking about an amount, number, degree, or extent. For example, “The box weighs more than 20 pounds” uses than because the sentence indicates an amount greater than 20 pounds.
The confusion comes from the similar-looking words than and then. They have different grammatical jobs. Than normally introduces a comparison, while then commonly refers to time, sequence, or consequence. The distinction becomes especially useful when proofreading because both words are legitimate English words, so a spell-checker may not catch every mistake.
There is also one important exception: more and then can appear next to each other when they are separate parts of a sentence. Understanding that difference helps you correct errors without creating new ones.
Quick Answer
More than is the correct phrase for comparisons, quantities, amounts, degrees, and many expressions of emphasis. More then is normally a spelling error when then is being used in place of than. Use then separately when you mean “at that time,” “next,” or “in that case.”
TL;DR
- More than is the standard phrase for comparison and quantity.
- Than introduces the second part of a comparison.
- Then usually refers to time, order, or consequence.
- More then is normally an error when intended as one phrase.
- More than can also mean “very” or “extremely.”
- More and then can appear together as separate words.
More Than vs. More Then at a Glance
| Form | Main Function | Correct Example | Status |
| more than | Comparison or greater amount | We need more than five chairs. | Correct |
| more than | Greater degree | She is more than capable. | Correct |
| more than | Emphasis | I am more than happy to help. | Correct |
| more than | Excess beyond an expectation | The repair cost more than expected. | Correct |
| more then | Intended comparison | We need more then five chairs. | Incorrect |
| then | Time or sequence | We ate, then we left. | Correct |
| more, then | Separate functions | I asked for more, then I left. | Correct |
What Does More Than Mean?
More than usually shows that one amount, number, degree, or extent is greater than another. The word more indicates a greater quantity or degree, while than connects that greater amount to a comparison or reference point.
For example:
- The building is more than 100 years old.
- Elena earns more than her brother.
- We waited more than an hour.
- The package weighs more than 20 pounds.
The phrase does not always involve two clearly named objects. Sometimes the comparison is against a number, expectation, limit, or implied standard. Oxford lists more than constructions for comparative quantity and degree, while Cambridge gives examples involving numbers and amounts.
In addition, more than has an emphatic use. Merriam-Webster records the phrase as meaning “to a great degree,” “very,” or “extremely.”
For example:
She is more than happy to help.
Here, more than does not mean that happiness is being counted. Instead, it strengthens the adjective happy.
When to Use More Than in Comparisons
Use more than when one person, thing, action, amount, or quality is greater than another.
A useful basic pattern is:
subject + verb + more than + comparison
Examples include:
- Marcus studies more than his brother.
- I value time more than money.
- The new model costs more than the old one.
- She practices more than anyone else on the team.
The phrase also appears after more when more modifies an adjective or adverb:
- This route is more difficult than the other one.
- The blue sofa is more comfortable than the gray one.
- The second test was more challenging than the first.
In these structures, than introduces the second element of the comparison. The MLA Style Center describes than as a conjunction or preposition commonly used to indicate comparison.
For a quick check, ask: “Greater than what?” If the sentence supplies a comparison, than is the natural choice.
More Than for Numbers, Amounts, and Measurements
More than is also used when an amount exceeds a stated number or measurement.
For example:
- More than 500 students attended the event.
- The repair took more than three hours.
- She has more than $100 in her wallet.
- The bridge is more than two miles long.
- We received more than 50 applications.
Notice that these sentences do not always compare two named objects. Instead, they establish a quantity above a particular point.
This pattern works with many measurements:
- more than 10 miles
- more than six months
- more than 20 pounds
- more than 100 pages
- more than $1,000
Cambridge gives more than examples involving quantities and numbers, while Oxford describes more as the comparative form associated with greater amounts or numbers.
Therefore, write:
The project took more than a week.
Not:
The project took more then a week.
The second version uses the time-related word then where a comparison marker is required.
More Than for Degree, Emphasis, and Excess
A common mistake is assuming that more than only works with numbers. In fact, it can express degree, excess, or strong emphasis.
Consider these examples:
- She is more than willing to help.
- The team is more than capable of finishing the project.
- You are more than welcome to stay.
- The explanation was more than enough.
- The result was more than I expected.
In “more than willing,” the phrase strengthens willing. It is similar in meaning to “very willing” or “extremely willing.” Cambridge specifically records expressions such as more than likely and more than happy, while Merriam-Webster gives more than happy and more than welcome as emphatic uses.
Compare:
I am happy to help.
with:
I am more than happy to help.
The second sentence adds emphasis. It does not simply report a numerical comparison.
This broader use is one reason learning only the rule “than follows numbers” is incomplete.
Why More Then Is Usually Incorrect
More then is usually incorrect because then does not perform the comparison function required by the sentence.
The two words have different jobs:
- than → comparison or contrast
- then → time, sequence, consequence, or a previous point in time
Compare:
She has more than five books.
She has more then five books.
The first sentence compares the number of books with five. Therefore, than is required.
Now consider:
We finished dinner, then we went home.
Here, then means something like “after that.” There is no comparison.
Scribbr similarly distinguishes than as the comparison word from then as a word associated with time and sequence.
The mistake is easy to make because the words look almost identical. However, spelling should follow the sentence’s function, not merely its sound.
When Then Is Correct
Then is a standard English word. The problem is not then itself; the problem is using it where than is required.
Then for time
Use then to refer to a particular time:
I lived in Chicago then.
Here, then means “at that time.”
Then for sequence
Use then for what happens next:
First, read the instructions. Then answer the questions.
Then for consequence
Then can also appear in conditional structures:
If you finish early, then you can leave.
It means something like “in that case.”
Then for a previous status
You can also use then before a noun to describe a former position or status:
The then manager approved the proposal.
This means the manager who held that position at the time.
The MLA Style Center and Scribbr both distinguish these functions from the comparative role of than.
Can More and Then Appear Together?
Yes. This is the important exception that prevents an overly simple rule.
The fixed phrase more than is standard. However, more and then can appear next to each other when they belong to different parts of the sentence.
For example:
I asked for more, then changed my mind.
Here, more means an additional amount. Then means “after that.” The two words are not forming the phrase more then.
Another example is:
She wanted more, then she realized she had enough.
Again, more and then have separate grammatical functions.
Writing Explained makes this distinction clearly: the words can occur beside each other without forming a fixed phrase.
So avoid saying that more then can never appear under any circumstances. The accurate rule is:
“More then” is normally wrong when you intend the comparison phrase “more than.”
If more and then perform separate jobs, the sentence can be grammatical.
Common Mistakes and Corrections
| Incorrect | Correct | Why |
| She has more then five books. | She has more than five books. | The sentence compares a quantity with five. |
| He earns more then I do. | He earns more than I do. | The sentence compares earnings. |
| The project cost more then expected. | The project cost more than expected. | The cost exceeded an expectation. |
| I am more then happy to help. | I am more than happy to help. | More than emphasizes happy. |
| She is taller then her sister. | She is taller than her sister. | Than introduces the comparison. |
| Finish this, than call me. | Finish this, then call me. | Then shows the next action. |
| We ate dinner than went home. | We ate dinner, then went home. | Then means “after that.” |
| I wanted more then I left. | I wanted more, then I left. | More and then have separate functions. |
These corrections show why context matters. Both than and then are legitimate words, so a writing tool may not always identify the intended meaning automatically.
For example, “I wanted more then I left” is structurally ambiguous without punctuation. The clearer version separates the two ideas:
I wanted more, then I left.
The comma helps the reader see that then begins the next action.
If you’re working through other easily confused English forms, EnglishsHub also has a guide to
where meaning rather than pronunciation determines the spelling.
A Simple Decision Rule for Than vs. Then
When proofreading, use this four-step test.
1. Is the sentence comparing something?
If yes, use than.
This laptop is faster than my old one.
2. Is the sentence showing what happened next?
If yes, use then.
We checked the address, then we called the driver.
3. Does a number or amount exceed a reference point?
Use more than.
The package weighs more than 15 pounds.
4. Does more than strengthen an adjective or expression?
Use more than.
She is more than ready.
A useful memory aid is:
Than = comparison.
Then = time or sequence.
The letters can also help:
- than → as in comparison
- then → events in sequence
The letter trick is only a memory aid. The meaning-based test is more reliable because it handles exceptions and unusual sentence structures.
Related Expressions: Less Than, Rather Than, and Other Than
Once you understand more than, several related expressions become easier to recognize.
Less than
Less than indicates a smaller amount, number, or degree.
The trip took less than two hours.
It contrasts naturally with:
The trip took more than two hours.
Rather than
Rather than introduces a preferred alternative or contrast.
I would walk rather than drive.
She chose to wait rather than complain.
Other than
Other than commonly means “except for,” “apart from,” or “besides.”
I have no complaints other than the long wait.
Other than Monday, I am available every day.
These expressions show that than has a broader role than simply following the word more. It appears in several comparison and contrast constructions. The MLA Style Center likewise identifies comparison and expressions such as other than and rather than as established uses of than.
For another related English usage distinction, see EnglishShub’s guide to Afterward or Afterwards, which explains how two similar-looking forms can differ in regional preference without one being universally wrong.
FAQs
Is “more than” or “more then” correct?
More than is correct when you are comparing amounts, quantities, degrees, or qualities. More then is normally a spelling mistake in this context because then does not introduce this type of comparison. For example, write “She has more than five books,” not “She has more then five books.”
Can “more then” ever be grammatical?
The fixed phrase more then is not the standard modern form for comparison. However, more and then can appear next to each other when they perform separate functions. For example, “I wanted more, then I changed my mind” is grammatical because then means “after that.”
What is the easiest way to remember than and then?
Remember than = comparison and then = time or sequence. If the sentence compares two things or says that an amount is greater than a reference point, choose than. If it describes what happened next or refers to a time, choose then.
Is “more than” only used with numbers?
No. More than can introduce comparisons, quantities, degrees, and emphatic expressions. For example, “She is more than capable” does not involve a number. It means that she is very or fully capable, with emphasis on the adjective.
Is “more than” formal or informal?
More than is standard in both everyday and formal English. It appears naturally in conversation, school writing, journalism, business communication, and academic prose. The phrase itself does not make a sentence informal. The surrounding vocabulary and sentence structure determine the overall tone.
Are “than” and “then” synonyms?
No. They are not interchangeable synonyms. Than primarily introduces comparisons and certain contrast constructions, while then commonly expresses time, sequence, consequence, or a previous status. Their similar appearance is a source of spelling confusion, not evidence that they have the same meaning.
Is “more than happy” correct?
Yes. More than happy is a standard emphatic expression meaning very or extremely happy, or strongly willing in context. For example, “I am more than happy to help” adds emphasis to the speaker’s willingness. Merriam-Webster and Cambridge both document this emphatic use.
Test Your Understanding
1. Which sentence is correct?
A. The car costs more then $30,000.
B. The car costs more than $30,000.
C. The car costs more then than $30,000.
D. The car then costs more $30,000.
2. Which sentence uses then correctly?
A. She is more then qualified.
B. The building is taller then the old one.
C. We finished the meeting, then we went home.
D. He has more then 20 books.
3. Which sentence uses more than for emphasis?
A. She is more than happy to help.
B. She went more than yesterday.
C. She then happy to help.
D. She is more then happy to help.
4. Which sentence is grammatical because more and then have separate functions?
A. I wanted more then five cookies.
B. I wanted more, then I changed my mind.
C. I wanted more then expected.
D. I wanted more then you did.
5. Which sentence correctly uses than in a comparison?
A. This test is harder then the first one.
B. This test is harder than the first one.
C. This test then harder than the first one.
D. This test is than harder the first one.
Answer Key
- B — Than introduces the comparison between the price and $30,000.
- C — Then indicates the next event in a sequence.
- A — More than happy is an emphatic expression.
- B — More means an additional amount, while then means “after that.”
- B — Than correctly introduces the second part of the comparison.
Conclusion
Use more than when you compare amounts, numbers, degrees, qualities, or expectations. It also appears in emphatic expressions such as more than happy and more than capable. By contrast, then normally refers to time, sequence, consequence, or a previous point in time.
The safest proofreading habit is to focus on meaning. If the sentence compares something or shows that an amount exceeds a reference point, choose than. If the sentence means “after that,” “at that time,” or “in that case,” choose then. Remember that more and then can still appear together when they are separate parts of a sentence.
