threw, through, thru

The words threw, through, thru sound the same but have different meanings and spellings. Why do threw, through, thru sound the same even though they are completely different words?

The answer is simple: threw, through, thru are homophones of the English language.

threw
  1. :: verb

    Past tense of throw.

through
  1. :: preposition

    In one side and out the opposite or another side of: went through the tunnel.

  2. :: preposition

    Among or between; in the midst of: a walk through the flowers.

  3. :: preposition

    By way of: climbed in through the window.

  4. :: preposition

    By the means or agency of: bought the antique vase through a dealer.

thru
  1. :: preposition

    Informal Through.

Definitions from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition and Wordnik.

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About Homophones

Homophones (literally "same sound") are usually defined as words that share the same pronunciation, regardless of how they are spelled.

If they are spelled the same then they are also homographs (and homonyms); if they are spelled differently then they are also heterographs (literally "different writing").