Threw vs Through: Which Spelling Is Right?
Threw is the past tense of throw. Through means from one side to the other, or finished.
She threw the ball through the window.
The test that settles it
Replace the word with tossed. If the sentence still works, you want threw. Through can never be swapped for a verb, because it is not one.
“he ___ his coat on the chair” → tossed fits, so threw.
“we drove ___ the tunnel” → tossed is nonsense, so through.
Through shares its -ough with though and thorough — none of them verbs. Threw shares its -ew with grew, knew and flew, which are all past tenses.
Threw: past tense of throw
The simple past of throw. It always has a subject doing the throwing, and the past participle is thrown, not threw.
He threw the letter away.
They threw a party for her.
The horse threw its rider.
Does tossed fit? Then threw.
Through: from one side to the other
A preposition and adverb of passage, and by extension of completion. It never acts as a verb.
a path through the wood
I am nearly through with it.
open Monday through Friday
Is something passing across or finishing? Then through.
Side by side
| Threw | Through |
|---|---|
| A verb | A preposition or adverb |
| Past tense of throw | No tense at all |
| Rhymes with grew | Rhymes with blue, spelt -ough |
| She threw it | It went through |
The exceptions
After has, have or had, the word is thrown: he has thrown it away. He has threw is never right, and it is a more common slip than the through mix-up.
Thru appears on road signs and in informal American writing. It is fine on a drive-thru sign and out of place everywhere else.
Where people get it wrong
| Incorrect | Correct | Why |
|---|---|---|
| He walked threw the door. | He walked through the door. | Passage, not throwing. |
| She through the ball to me. | She threw the ball to me. | A past-tense verb. |
| I have threw it out already. | I have thrown it out already. | After have, use thrown. |
| We are half way threw the book. | We are half way through the book. | Progress, not throwing. |
Practice — choose the right word, then check yourself.
- The cat jumped ___ the open window.
- He ___ the keys across the table.
- They have ___ away the receipt.
- We got ___ the meeting in an hour.
- Someone ___ a stone at the sign.
Show the answers
1. through 2. threw 3. thrown 4. through 5. threw
Frequently asked
Do they sound identical?
Close enough that speech gives you no help — both end in the same vowel. Only the grammar separates them.
Is Monday through Friday correct?
It is standard American. British English prefers Monday to Friday.
More words people confuse
