less then

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "less then" is not correct in written English; it should be "less than." You can use "less than" when comparing quantities, amounts, or values that are smaller in size or number.
Example: "The budget for this project is less than we initially estimated."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Academia

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Having less, then, leads to giving more.

Stanford University

There was less then than now.

The New York Times - Style

If you earned less, then you get money.

Stanford University

Which can be done for less then $10,000 US.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

No startup ever spends less then it raises.

University of California, Berkeley

Apothecium discoid, substipitate, wholly white, less then 0.2 mm diam.

Harvard University

Less then 50% of the buds showed green last evening.

Cornell University

If it's less, then more will die tomorrow.

The Guardian

The bulls would buck quite a bit less then.

The New York Times

But nearly 100 other colleges got less then $20.

The New York Times

If they get substantially less, then the probability declines".

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Always use "less than" for comparisons. "Less" refers to quantity, while "than" is the conjunction for comparison.

Common error

Avoid substituting "than" with "then" when making comparisons. "Then" indicates time or sequence, not a comparative relationship.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "less then" functions incorrectly as a comparative, attempting to establish that one quantity is smaller than another. However, the correct form is "less than". As indicated by Ludwig, "less then" is not correct in written English.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

Academia

33%

News & Media

33%

Science

16%

Less common in

Wiki

10%

Formal & Business

0%

Social Media

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "less then" is a common grammatical error and should always be corrected to "less than" when making comparisons. Ludwig AI points out that the incorrect use of "then" instead of "than" undermines the phrase's intended purpose, to compare quantities. While widespread, especially across Academia, News & Media, and Scientific contexts, it's essential to maintain grammatical accuracy by using "less than" or contextually appropriate alternatives such as "fewer than". Remember that "then" refers to time, while "than" is used for comparisons.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

less than

Corrects the grammatical error by replacing "then" with "than", making it a grammatically sound comparison.

fewer than

Emphasizes a smaller quantity, specifically for countable nouns. "Less" is generally used for uncountable nouns.

smaller than

Focuses on size or magnitude rather than quantity.

lower than

Appropriate when referring to a position, level, or value on a scale.

below

A more concise way to indicate that something is at a lower level or amount.

not exceeding

Indicates a maximum limit that something cannot surpass.

not more than

Specifies an upper limit that can be equaled but not exceeded.

under

Implies a value or quantity that does not reach a certain threshold.

to a lesser extent than

Focuses on the degree to which something happens, implying a comparative reduction.

not as much as

Highlights that the quantity or degree is inferior in comparison.

FAQs

What's the correct way to use "less than" in a sentence?

Use "less than" to compare quantities or values where one is smaller than the other. For example, "The cost was "less than" expected."

When should I use "fewer than" instead of "less than"?

"Fewer than" should be used for countable items, while "less than" is for uncountable items. For example, "fewer than 10 students" versus "less than a gallon of milk."

What can I say instead of "less then"?

The correct phrase is "less than". You might also use "smaller than" or "below" depending on context.

Which is correct, "less then" or "less than"?

"Less then" is incorrect. The correct phrase for making comparisons is "less than".