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Then" is about time or sequence (what happens next), while "than" is for comparisons (bigger than, faster than). A quick memory trick: "then" has an "e" like "wh**e**n," and "than" has an "a" like "comp**a**rison.
It's actually a pretty common mix-up, so don't feel bad about it 😊 The key is remembering that **than** is for comparisons (it's got an 'a' like "compare") while **then** is about time or sequence (think "when"). A quick trick: "than" rhymes with "plan" (comparing two things), and "then" has an 'e' like "when." Once you nail that connection, it usually sticks!
The best way to lock this in is to notice that "than" and "comparison" both have an 'a' in them - once you see that link, it sticks. The tricky part that folks don't always mention: "then" can mean multiple things (next in sequence, at that time, or even "in that case"), so just focusing on those definitions doesn't always help. What really works is anchoring "than" first since it's more specific - it *only* shows up for comparisons - and treating "then" as the default for everything else about time or order.
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