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Through vs Though vs Thorough

What is the difference between through, though and thorough?

Through (/θruː/) means from one side to the other. Though (/ðəʊ/) means although. Thorough (/ˈθʌrə/) means careful and complete.

Through vs Though vs Thorough at a glance

  • through

    /θruː/ · preposition

    From one side or end of something to the other.

    • We walked through the park to get home.
    • The train goes through a long tunnel.
    “through” in the vocabulary guide
  • though

    /ðəʊ/ · conjunction / adverb

    Used to introduce an idea that is surprising after what was said, like although or however.

    • Though it was raining, we went to the beach.
    • The hotel was nice. The food wasn't great, though.
    “though” in the vocabulary guide
  • thorough

    /ˈθʌrə/ · adjective

    Done carefully and completely, with attention to every detail.

    • The police carried out a thorough search of the house.
    • She's very thorough – she checks everything twice.

How to remember it

Rhymes help: through rhymes with true, though rhymes with go, and thorough rhymes with borough. Thorough has an extra o because it's more complete.

Good to know

Through and thorough start with /θ/ (as in think); though starts with /ð/ (as in this). In American English, thorough is /ˈθɜːroʊ/. The informal spellings "thru" and "tho" appear in texts but not in formal writing.

Common mistakes

  • Wrong: We drove though the city centre.

    Right: We drove through the city centre.

  • Wrong: Through I was tired, I finished the essay.

    Right: Though I was tired, I finished the essay.

  • Wrong: The doctor gave me a through check-up.

    Right: The doctor gave me a thorough check-up.

Quick quiz

  1. 1.The cat came in the open window.

  2. 2.Before you sign, read the contract in a way.

  3. 3.It was a good film. A bit long, .

Pick the right word for each gap.

Often confused too