work through
InseparableThe verb and particle never split. The object always follows the whole phrase.
How to say it
Stress the particle, not the verb: work THROUGH. Saying “WORK through” is the clearest learner tell — the verb stays light and the particle carries the beat.
Do not release the /k/. 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: “work through”. Watch the TH in “through” — tongue tip between the teeth, voiceless. Swapping it for /t/ or /s/ is the usual slip.
What it means
To deal with something difficult step by step.
- “We worked through the backlog over two weekends.”
- “It took him years to work through the grief.”
Similar: process, resolve