AAAmerican Accent US

put through

Separable

The object can go before or after the particle — but a pronoun MUST go in the middle: “clean it up”, never “clean up it”.

How to say it

Stress the particle, not the verb: put THROUGH. Saying “PUT through” is the clearest learner tell — the verb stays light and the particle carries the beat.

Do not release the /t/. Before the consonant of “through” the stop is held and swallowed rather than popped — the same unreleased-stop move as in hot dog. One smooth unit: “put through”. Watch the TH in “through” — tongue tip between the teeth, voiceless. Swapping it for /t/ or /s/ is the usual slip.

2 meanings

  1. 1

    To connect someone by telephone.

    • “Hold on and I'll put you through to accounts.”

    Similar: connect, transfer

  2. 2

    To make someone endure something difficult.

    • “I'm sorry for what I put you through.”

    Similar: subject to

The particle logic

through

Something passes from one end of an obstacle to the other.

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More PUT phrasal verbs

Compare the whole family →

put off

To postpone something until later.

put up with

To tolerate something unpleasant without complaining.

put on

To dress yourself in something.

put out

To extinguish a fire, a flame or a cigarette.

put away

To return something to its proper storage place.

put down

To place something on a surface.

put back

To return something to its original place.

put in

To install something.

put together

To assemble something from parts.

put up

To erect or display something.

put aside

To save something, especially money, for later.

put through — meaning, examples & how to say it