と言(い)うより...is more of a... than a..., Rather than saying that...

より expresses a general comparison, like 'more than (A)' or '~er,' e.g. 月曜日より水曜日がいい ('Wednesday is better than Monday.') or 走るより野球をするのが好き ('I prefer playing baseball to running.'). In contrast, というより specifically means 'more/rather than saying (A)' and is used primarily when rephrasing or clarifying something.

Both といおうか and というより are used to adjust or refine what the speaker is saying, but they differ in how that adjustment works. といおうか is used when the speaker hesitates and offers an alternative way of describing something, often softening the statement or showing uncertainty, as in 優しいというか、少し甘い人だ (‘He’s kind, or rather, maybe a bit naive.’). In contrast, というより is used to correct or replace the first expression with a more accurate one, clearly shifting to what the speaker considers the better description, as in 忙しいというより疲れている (‘Rather than saying I'm busy, I’m tired.’).

むしろ and というより can both be used when clarifying or rewording something, but function differently. というより attaches to a word or phrase to suggest a more appropriate expression, while むしろ introduces the clarified or preferred wording. Because of this, they often pair together, e.g. 可愛いというより、むしろ美しい ('Rather than cute, she's beautiful').