Hardly than-Hardly when | Commonly Confused Words
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Master confusing words with ease

Hardly than vs. Hardly when

Hardly than

/ˈhɑːrdli ðæn/
A construction used incorrectly in place of 'sooner than' or 'rather than'; 'hardly' is typically paired with 'when'.

Examples:

She had hardly taken a seat than the meeting began.He had hardly left the room than she burst into tears.Hardly had she spoken than her phone rang again.

Synonyms:

This word has no synonyms

Antonyms:

This word has no antonyms

Hardly when

/ˈhɑrd.li wɛn/
Used to describe a condition or event that occurs almost immediately after another.

Examples:

I had hardly settled when the phone rang.She had hardly arrived when it started to rain.We had hardly begun when they called us back.

Synonyms:

Antonyms:

Ways to tell them apart:

etymology
  • Hardly than is not a standard phrase in English, so if youre thinking to use it, double-check if you might mean hardly when' or another structure.
  • Remember that hardly when is used to show that one event closely follows another, usually in past narrative contexts.
  • Hardly when sets up for an almost immediate action or occurrence that contradicts expectation.
  • The correct phrase is hardly when, not hardly than.
  • Double-check if you want a comparative form; if so, hardly than wouldnt fit as hardly isnt typically used for comparison.
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