Kooyeen  +  516762 Wed, 21 May 08 08:29 PM RayH “How about people who don't know the difference between then and than? Or there, their, and they're? Or too and to? Or its and it's?” Despite being wrong, they all make sense, since they are pronounced the same, except "then" vs "than". I've never understood that very well, but I recently noticed that "then" and "than" can actually be pronounced the same when the vowel in "than" is not completely reduced to a schwa. So it seems to me that in fast or normal speech you have "Better thun me", and in slower speech you have "Better then me". Maybe I'm mistaken though... Reduction and raising of /æ/ to /ɛ/ in reducible syllables is something I just started to notice. I'll post in the pronunciation section too. Kooyeen Joined on Thu, Dec 22 2005 Italy Senior Member 4,970 Parental Advisory / Explicit Posts Difference Between, Vowels, Pronunciation

	Grammarwannabe  +  516868 Thu, 22 May 08 12:23 AM GrammarGeek, for you that is true, I am sure. Unfortunately, I work in a school where I get handwritten papers from adult native speakers with the same mistakes.  Sometimes when I underline it, I am still questioned. I think Ray is right; there are too many cases where they don't know the right answer Grammarwannabe Joined on Mon, Apr 23 2007 New Member 43 Underline

	farmer ky  +  516870 Thu, 22 May 08 12:35 AM No they don't make sense. You can say it and it sounds right and we understand but not in writing! people know it's wrong if it is in writing because they recognize the words and not the sounds. ex: than is for comparison. Then is to indicate the time. too is like also. to is like to do something.. it's is it is or it has. its is belonging to something... am i right? farmer ky Joined on Wed, May 21 2008 New Member 17

	khoff  +  516877 Thu, 22 May 08 01:01 AM   Yes, you are correct. khoff Joined on Sun, Mar 6 2005 Senior Member 3,272 Native speaker of American English (but not a grammar expert)