Throne vs Thrown: How to Tell Them Apart
A throne is a royal seat. Thrown is the past participle of throw.
She sat on the throne. The rider was thrown.
The test that settles it
Look for has, have, had, was or were in front of it. Those auxiliaries signal a participle, so the answer is thrown. If the word follows a or the, it is a thing, so throne.
“he was ___ from the horse” → was plus a participle, so thrown.
“the empty ___” → the plus a noun, so throne.
Throne ends in -one, like stone — and a throne is a solid thing you sit on. Thrown ends in -own, like grown and flown, which are participles too.
Throne: the seat, and the office
The ceremonial chair of a monarch or bishop, and by extension the position itself — to come to the throne is to begin a reign.
a gilded throne under a canopy
She came to the throne at twenty-five.
heir to the throne
Does a or the come before it? Then throne.
Thrown: past participle of throw
The form used after have or in the passive. It also carries a figurative sense of being disconcerted: I was completely thrown.
The bottle had been thrown from a car.
He was thrown by the question.
Nothing has been thrown away.
Is there an auxiliary verb in front? Then thrown.
Side by side
| Throne | Thrown |
|---|---|
| A noun | A verb form |
| A royal seat | Past participle of throw |
| Follows a or the | Follows has, was, been |
| the throne room | has been thrown |
The exceptions
I was thrown by that means disconcerted, not physically hurled. It is still the participle, so the spelling does not change.
The throne is a jokey word for a lavatory, which is worth knowing so you are not caught out by the pun rather than the spelling.
Where people get it wrong
| Incorrect | Correct | Why |
|---|---|---|
| He was throne out of the pub. | He was thrown out of the pub. | Was signals a participle. |
| the heir to the thrown | the heir to the throne | A royal seat. |
| She has thrones away the packaging. | She has thrown away the packaging. | After has, the participle. |
| a golden thrown in the great hall | a golden throne in the great hall | A thing in a room. |
Practice — choose the right word, then check yourself.
- The prince will inherit the ___.
- The jockey was ___ at the first fence.
- Papers had been ___ across the floor.
- A carved wooden ___ stood at the end.
- I was completely ___ by her reply.
Show the answers
1. throne 2. thrown 3. thrown 4. throne 5. thrown
Frequently asked
Which one follows have?
Always thrown. A noun cannot follow have in that position.
Is threw ever right after has?
No. Has threw is an error; the participle is thrown.
More words people confuse
