The confusion between other than and other then comes down to one small word: than versus then. They sound nearly identical in casual speech, which makes this an easy mistake to type without noticing.
The short answer: Other than is correct. Other then is a misspelling.
Why “Other Than” Is the Right Choice
Than is a conjunction and preposition used for comparisons, exceptions, and contrasts. It connects two things when one differs from the other.
Then is an adverb related to time. It answers the question when—as in “first this, then that.”
Other than falls into the comparison and exception category, which is why than is the correct word here, not then.
What “Other Than” Means
Other than has two main jobs in English.
1. It means “except” or “apart from”
This is probably the most common use. You are singling something out from a group or excluding it from a statement.
- She never drinks anything other than water.
- No one other than the manager has access to that file.
- The trip went smoothly, other than one delayed flight.
2. It means “different from”
Here, it signals that something is not the same as something else.
- The results turned out to be quite other than what we expected.
- He wanted something other than the usual options.
“Other Then” — Why the Mistake Happens
When people write other then, it is almost always a typo or a mixing up of two similar-sounding words. In fast speech, than and then are often reduced to the same short, unstressed sound, so the ear does not always catch the difference.
This confusion is extremely common across all levels of writing. Spell-checkers sometimes miss it too, because then is a real word — just the wrong one in this context.
A quick way to check yourself: if you can replace the phrase with except or apart from and the sentence still makes sense, the word you want is than.
- Other than coffee → Apart from coffee ✓
- Other then coffee → Apart from coffee ✓ (but the spelling is still wrong)
The substitution test confirms the meaning; the spelling rule confirms the word.
Other Than or Other Then in Real Sentence Examples
| Sentence | Correct? |
| Other than that, everything was fine. | ✓ Correct |
| Other then that, everything was fine. | ✗ Incorrect |
| No one other than her brother knew. | ✓ Correct |
| No one other then her brother knew. | ✗ Incorrect |
| Other than being tired, she felt okay. | ✓ Correct |
A Simple Rule to Remember
Ask yourself what the word is doing in the sentence.
- Is it about time or sequence? → Use then. (“We ate dinner, then watched a film.”)
- Is it about exception, contrast, or difference? → Use than. (“No one called other than you.”)
Other than always signals exception or difference — so it always takes than.
Takeaway
Other than is the correct form. Other then is a misspelling caused by the similar sound of than and then in everyday speech. Because than is the word for comparisons and exceptions — and other than works as a phrase meaning “except” or “apart from” — than is always the right choice here. If you catch yourself writing other then, swap it out for than and move on.
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It’s Afini, I am the author at Vocab press, a website focused on animal facts with clear visuals and simple guides. I research and share accurate, easy-to-understand information for readers of all ages. My goal is to make learning about animals fun, trustworthy, and simple. I follow fact-based writing and keep content updated, helpful, and people-first. Thank you for reading.
