How to Pronounce “through”

American (US)

/θruː/

British (UK)

/θruː/

preposition — From one side or end of (something) to the other.

Example: I drove through Lausanne on my way from Geneva to Zurich.

The -ough trap. -ough is the least predictable spelling in English: the same four letters cover at least six different pronunciations (through, though, thought, tough, plough, thorough). The spelling of “through” tells you almost nothing — learn this one by ear.

What does "through" mean?

through (preposition): From one side or end of (something) to the other. For example — I drove through Lausanne on my way from Geneva to Zurich.

How do you pronounce "through" in American vs British English?

Both accents use the same sequence of phonemes for "through", /θruː/, so the difference you hear is in how the vowels are coloured rather than in which sounds are used. Play both on this page to compare.

What is the IPA transcription of "through"?

/θruː/ in American English, /θruː/ in British English.

Ough Words — All the Pronunciations of ough, With Audio

The same four letters are pronounced at least six different ways. The sound families for through, though, tough, cough, plough, borough and more, each with audio.

• Voiceless TH words
• -OUGH words