Though

How to spell though

6 letters · 1 syllable

How to pronounce though

What does though mean?

1. conjunctionDespite the fact that; in spite of the fact that.
2. adverbHowever; nevertheless (used to qualify a previous statement, often at the end of a clause).

Though in a sentence

• conjunction

  I went, though I was tired.

• adverb

  The flat is small; the location is excellent, though.

• conjunction

  I went, though I didn't enjoy it much.

• adverb

  He agreed to help; he wasn't happy about it, though.

Where does though come from?

Language of origin: Germanic

This little word descends from Old English þēah, which already carried the sense of 'yet', 'however', or 'in spite of that'. It belongs to a wider Germanic family, sharing ancestry with Old Norse þó and Old High German doh, all going back to a common Germanic form meaning roughly 'that, then, yet'. The modern spelling was reshaped under Old Norse influence during the Middle English period, and the cluster 'gh' is a fossil of a throaty sound that English once pronounced but later dropped, leaving the silent ending we keep today. Because that 'gh' is now mute, the word looks far less phonetic than it sounds, which is exactly why writers sometimes muddle it with 'through' or 'thought'. The clipped form 'tho' has floated around for centuries but never displaced the traditional spelling.

How the word is built

• though (single Germanic root; from Old English þēah 'yet, however')