How to pronounce “than”
Than is pronounced /ˈðæn/. It has 1 syllable. Below: the syllable split, native audio in both accents, the mistake people actually make with this word, and every individual sound in it explained.
Syllables and stress
Split it into 1 beat. It is a single beat — one vowel, said in one push of breath.
Stress pattern O — capital letters mark the stressed beats.
The common mispronunciation of “than”
✗ Often said: /ˈθæn/ — the spelling, read straight off the page.
✓ Actually: /ˈðæn/
Why the two come apart: a consonant letter takes an unexpected sound value here, so reading it "as written" comes out wrong.
This is why reading English aloud from spelling alone goes wrong so often: the letters of “than” are not a reliable map of its sounds. The IPA is — each symbol stands for exactly one sound, every time.
“than” sound by sound
“than” is built out of 3 sounds. Say each one on its own first, slowly, then run them together at speed. Every sound links to a full guide with mouth position, the mistake learners make with it, and other words that use it.
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ðSame tongue-to-teeth position as /θ/, but turn the voice on so the tongue tip vibrates against the teeth.
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æDrop the jaw noticeably, push the front of the tongue low and forward, and spread the lips — it is a flat, bright, fairly long American vowel.
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nTouch the tongue tip to the ridge behind the upper teeth, lower the soft palate, and voice the air out through the nose.
Words that rhyme with “than”
Same ending sound from the stressed vowel on — a good way to hear whether you have the vowel right:
Minimal pairs — words one sound away from “than”
Each of these differs from “than” by exactly one sound. If you can say both of a pair and hear the difference, that sound is under control:
Questions people ask about “than”
- How do you pronounce “than”?
- “than” is pronounced /ˈðæn/. Press the US or UK button above to hear it spoken.
- How many syllables are in “than”?
- “than” has 1 syllable. The stress pattern is O.
- What is the common mispronunciation of “than”?
- People read it off the spelling as /ˈθæn/, but it is actually /ˈðæn/, because a consonant letter takes an unexpected sound value here, so reading it "as written" comes out wrong.
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