Walkthrough vs. Walk Through
“Walkthrough” is commonly a noun for a rehearsal or step-by-step guide, while “walk through” is a phrasal verb used for rehearsing or guiding someone through a process. Cambridge also records hyphenated “walk-through” in noun use.
Use “walk through” as a verb (“I’ll walk you through it”). Use “walkthrough” as a noun for a guide or rehearsal; “walk-through” is also recorded as a noun variant.
Key details
Choose the right form
| If you mean / need | Use | Why |
|---|---|---|
| the action of guiding or rehearsing | walk through | It is the phrasal verb. |
| a guide, rehearsal, or inspection as a thing | walkthrough / walk-through | These are noun forms recorded by Cambridge. |
Further guidance
Core difference
Use one-word “walkthrough” as a noun in many modern contexts; use two-word “walk through” when it is a verb.
Fast Test
If you can put a subject before it and an object after it—“I’ll walk you through the setup”—use the two-word verb. If you mean the guide or rehearsal itself, use a noun form.
Hyphen Boundary
“Walk-through” is also recorded as a noun form in some contexts, so house style can affect whether the noun is closed or hyphenated.
Sources and evidence
Sources are shown with the role they play in this guide. Historical or style-sensitive claims are kept within the evidence boundary described above.
- Walkthrough — English meaning (opens in a new tab)Cambridge University Press · Dictionary noun record for walkthrough
- Walk through something — English meaning (opens in a new tab)Cambridge University Press · Dictionary phrasal-verb and walk-through noun/adjective forms