not taller than = no taller than

[joham]

Does 'not taller than' and 'no taller than' mean the same thing? If they do, which is generally preferred?

The sentences below are taken from COLLINS COBUILD ENGLISH USAGE:
No is used in front of comparative adjectives instead of`not'. For example, instead of saying `She isn't taller than her sister', you say `She is no taller than her sister'.

 

[hoangkha]

Does 'not taller than' and 'no taller than' mean the same thing? If they do, which is generally preferred?

The sentences below are taken from COLLINS COBUILD ENGLISH USAGE:
No is used in front of comparative adjectives instead of`not'. For example, instead of saying `She isn't taller than her sister', you say `She is no taller than her sister'.

(not a teacher)
no (adverb)
8 used before comparatives to mean 'not even a small amount':
- I'll pay you $75 and no more.
- You're no better than the rest of them.
http://www.ldoceonline.com/dictionary/no_1

 

[BobK]

:up: But don't take "No is used in front of comparative adjectives instead of`not'" too seriously.

Counterexample: 'My brother, although he is 13 years older than me, is not taller than me.'
(To say 'He is no taller than me' would be plain misleading. He's nowhere near as tall as me.)

As always, look at the context.

b