harder that

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "harder that" is not correct in English; it should be "harder than." You can use "harder than" when making comparisons between two things, indicating that one is more difficult than the other.
Example: "This math problem is harder than the last one we solved."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

The bigger the bank, the harder that is.

The Economist

The longer we stay married, the harder that is to do.

The New York Times

The further behind I get, the harder that is to do.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

It's far harder that way round, and I think fundamentally the car we've got is good".

The Guardian - Sport

Then under his breath he told her, "Now let's go out and try harder!" That was four years ago.

The New York Times - Sports

Other people wanted him to go more in the direction of hitting Republicans harder". That was true during the endless bus rides of John McCain's 2000 presidential campaign.

The Washington Post

Late in the season, he sat out six games because, Tortorella said, "He needed to compete harder; that was the inconsistent part of his game".

The New York Times - Sports

The higher the legal production, the harder that will be.If California's hippies long for legalisation, the bullet-weary citizens of Mexico's poorest barrios are even keener.* "After The War On Drugs: Blueprint For Regulation", from Transform Drugs Policy Foundation.

The Economist

Innovation, by definition, comes from reexamining a problem from a new perspective--and the more stuck you are in your intellectual ways, the harder that is to do.

Science Magazine

The more attention this gets in the U.S., the harder that will be.

HuffPost

World War II was a little harder; that took us 3½ years to finish off.

Huffington Post

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Always use "than" instead of "that" when making comparisons. "Than" is a conjunction used to compare two things, while "that" is used to introduce a clause or specify something. For example, say "This task is harder than I thought".

Common error

Avoid substituting "than" with "that" in comparative sentences. While "that" has its place in English grammar, it doesn't function as a comparative conjunction. Using "that" in place of "than" will create a grammatically incorrect sentence.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "harder that" is intended to function as a comparative, where one thing is described as more difficult than another. However, as Ludwig AI points out, the correct comparative conjunction is 'than', not 'that'.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

85%

Academia

8%

Wiki

4%

Less common in

Science

3%

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "harder that" is a common grammatical error. As Ludwig AI explains, the correct comparative construction uses "than" to compare two things. While "harder that" appears frequently, especially in News & Media, it's grammatically incorrect. The expert rating reflects this, advising writers to always use "harder than" to maintain grammatical accuracy. Remember to avoid this substitution to ensure clarity and credibility in your writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

more difficult than

Replaces "harder" with a more formal synonym and uses the correct comparative conjunction "than".

tougher than

Uses a more informal synonym for "harder" while maintaining the correct comparative structure.

more challenging than

Substitutes "harder" with "challenging" to emphasize the demanding nature of something.

more arduous than

Emphasizes the effort required, using a more formal and literary tone.

not as easy as

Expresses a similar comparison by negating the ease of something else.

more complex than

Highlights the intricacy of something compared to something else.

more strenuous than

Focuses on the physical or mental exertion required.

a greater struggle than

Uses a noun phrase to convey the difficulty.

more demanding than

Emphasizes the requirements and expectations involved.

a bigger challenge than

Frames the difficulty as a challenge to be overcome.

FAQs

How do I correct the phrase "harder that" in a sentence?

The correct comparative form is to use "harder than". "Than" is used to compare two things, while "that" serves a different grammatical function.

Is it ever correct to use "that" after a comparative adjective?

No, in comparative sentences, the correct word to use is "than". "That" is used to introduce clauses or specify something, not to make comparisons. For example, "This book is more interesting than I expected", not "that I expected".

What are some common mistakes when using comparative adjectives like "harder"?

One common mistake is confusing "than" and "that". Another is using the incorrect form of the adjective (e.g., "more harder" instead of simply "harder"). Also, ensure the comparison is clear and logical.

What can I say instead of "harder that"?

Use "harder than". If you need an alternative to the word "harder" itself, consider "more difficult than", "tougher than", or "more challenging than", depending on the context.