COMMONLY CONFUSING WORDS WITH TH-

Though, Thought, Tough, Threw, Through, Throughout, Thorough,

Thoroughly

1. THOUGH

pronunciation: /ðoʊ/
It is a conjunction which means “in spite of, despite the fact that, although”.

For example:
Steven went to work, he didn’t feel very well though.
Even though the weather was cold, we enjoyed the holiday.
Odd though it may seem, I never found out his name.

2. THOUGHT

pronunciation: /θɔːt/ (thought sounds like and is spelt like other verbs in the
-ought pattern such as bought, brought, fought, sought).
It could function as a noun with the meaning of “idea, the act or process of
thinking”.
It could also function as the past form and the past participle form of the verb
“think”.

For example:
What are your thoughts on the subject?
That’s a good offer, give it some thought.
I thought you were coming to my party.
Sorry, I haven't thought about it.

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3. TOUGH

pronunciation: /tʌf/
It is an adjective and it means “hard, difficult, tricky”.

For example:
I’ve had a tough day, I’m exhausted.
The measures were tough but absolutely necessary.
That was the toughest question somebody had asked him.

4. THREW

pronunciation: /θru/ (it has exactly the same pronunciation as the preposition
through)
It is the past form of the verb “throw” which means “to move something in the
air.”
The complete conjugation of the verb is as follows: throw, threw, thrown

For example:
They threw a party last Saturday to celebrate winning the first prize.
Emily threw the book from the shelf and it landed with a loud thud on the
floor.
Casey wondered if he should speak up but he rapidly threw that idea out
the window.

5. THROUGH

pronunciation: /θru/ (it has exactly the same pronunciation as the past tense
threw)
It is a preposition and it means “from one side to the other; with the help of, by

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means of”. It is used in expressions of place such as go through a door, walk
through the park, drive through the tunnel.

For example:
The glass was so dusty that I couldn’t see through it.
Do you walk through the subway cars when you get on to find the best seat?
Data will be gathered through various indicators rather than through
questionnaires.

6. THROUGHOUT

pronunciation: /θruˈaʊt/
It is a preposition and it means “from beginning to end of, in every corner of a
space”.

For example:
He checks stock throughout the warehouse.
The voice was heard throughout the store.
One of the characters addresses the audience directly throughout the play.

7. THOROUGH

pronunciation: /θʌroʊ/
It is an adjective and it means “careful, detailed, in depth”.

For example:
We’ll give our recommendations after a thorough analysis of the subject.
They need a more thorough understanding of this subject.
The key to a good interview is thorough preparation.

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8. THOROUGHLY

We can also add the suffix -ly and make the adverb thoroughly.

For example:
She examined it thoroughly.
All his friends told him that the evening had been thoroughly enjoyable.
If she plans to attend that university, she has to make sure to thoroughly
investigate her choices.

A FULL SENTENCES FILLED WITH CONFUSING WORDS

BEGINNING BY TH-

“English can be weird. It can be understood through tough thorough thought,

though.”