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thorough ~ through

[slightly different first sound]

“Thorough” (adjective) means ‘considering or doing some work carefully, including all possible details, and properly, avoiding any possible mistakes, and checking once or twice before being satisfied’,

e.g.

The patient was given a thorough check-up by a team of doctors.

Supervisors must have a thorough knowledge of the work they supervise.

The Opposition Party demanded a thorough investigation of the credit card scam.

Thorough bred animals are from a good breed and well looked after.

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“Through”, as a preposition, is ‘(of a place or position) entering from one end or side and exiting  from or reaching  the other end or side; (of something or someone) cutting something or making a hole in something or someone from one side to the other; to reach a place or point with great difficulty; from the beginning to the end; until and including {in this sense the spelling ‘thru’ is also used in American and British English}; by means of, because of’; as an adjective, it means ‘(*always before a noun) being done without stopping; (**never before a noun) to have finished doing something or using something, and to break or end a relationship with others’; and as an adverb, it is ‘{qualifying a verb in the situations mentioned above, and…} connecting a person to another by telephone; used after an adjective to give the meaning “completely”’,

e.g.

The cat jumped into the room through the window.   [through – preposition]

A little boy pushed his way through the crowd in search of his father.   [through – preposition]

All the vehicles were stopped by the side of the road to let the ambulance pass through.   [through – adverb]

Our football team is through to the finals.   [through – adverb]

{on the telephone} “Put me through to the manager, please.”    [through = connect to -- adverb]

This is not a through road; you’ve got to turn back to get back to the main road.   [through = thoroughfare -- *adjective]

I and my friend are through.   [through = separated -- *adjective]

{‘Thoroughfare’ is a main road through a village, town or city.  For example, on a road sign: NO THOROUGHFARE which means vehicles cannot use that particular road to pass through to the other side or end.  For example, ‘Market Road is the main thoroughfare in our little town, but the Hospital Road is not a thoroughfare.’}

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