Different from/Different than

Is there a difference (pun totally intended)?  Yes.  First, as always, let’s look into the explanation.  ‘Different’ is a word used to contrast, rather than (tee hee) compare.  ‘Than’ usually follows adjectives used to compare people, items, conditions, etc.

Examples: More than, less than, better than, worse than, colder than and many more.

• CORRECT: The birthday party was different than I expected.
• INCORRECT: The birthday party was different from what I expected.

The rules are pretty simple:

• When creating a sentence if a noun comes after ‘different’, use ‘from.’
• When creating a sentence where a clause (subject and verb) follow ‘different’, use than.

If you need assistance with the very confusing English language rules, contact the professionals at Writing It Right For You. We’re here to help because “It Matters How You Say It!”