Distinguishing Between Through & Via

Through and Via are two words that are often confused in English when it comes to their usage. They indeed have different meanings and connotations. The word ‘through’ is used in the sense of ‘into’. On the other hand, the word ‘via’ is used in the sense of ‘by’. This is the main and subtle difference between the two words, namely, through and via.

Observe the two sentences:

1. He went through the dense forest.
2. He walked through the path.

In both the sentences, you can find that the word ‘through’ is indicative of the meaning ‘into’ and hence, the meaning of the first sentence would be ‘he went into the dense forest’ and the meaning of the second sentence would be ‘he walked into the path’.

On the other hand, look at the following sentences:

1. You can reach the place via the village.
2. Go to your school via the bridge.

In both the sentences, the word ‘via’ is used in the sense of ‘by’ and hence the meaning of the first sentence would be ‘you can reach the place by the village’, and the meaning of the second sentence would be ‘go to your school by the bridge’. This is the main difference between the two words, namely, through and via.

It is interesting to note that the word ‘through’ is used very often with several verbs such as ‘go’, ‘get’, ‘walk’, ‘see’, run’ and the like to give different meanings in each case.

Observe the sentences:

1. The bowler ran through the opposite side.
2. He went through the entire book.
3. He would see through the problem.
4. He walked through with ease.

In each of the sentences mentioned above you can find that the word ‘through’ has gained a different meaning when used with selective verbs.

Key Takeaways

• ‘Through’ is used in the sense of ‘into’, while ‘via’ is used in the sense of ‘by’.
• ‘Through’ is often used with several verbs such as ‘go’, ‘get’, ‘walk’, ‘see’, and ‘run’ to give different meanings in each case.
• The main difference between ‘through’ and ‘via’ is their usage and meaning in sentences.