Different Than and Different From

Is life in New York “different from” or “different than” London?

Comparative adjectives like “faster” or “taller” use the preposition “than” in order to show comparisons (e.g., faster than a moving train, taller than the Statue of Liberty).

“Different” is an adjective that is used to draw distinction rather than comparison. Thus, the preposition “from” should be used with it, similar to “separate from,” “distinct from,” or “apart from.”

So, life in New York is different from London. But, if you needed us to tell you that, you’ve got bigger challenges than drawing this distinction, no matter where you live.