What's the difference between 'run through' and 'walk through'?

'Run through' and 'walk through' are very similar. 'Walk through' sometimes sounds a bit slower and more detailed. In tech, both are used the same way. You can use either one.

Can I use 'run through' in formal writing?

'Run through' is mostly spoken. In formal docs or emails to clients, use 'explain' or 'review' instead. It's fine for internal Slack or casual team emails.

Do I say 'run you through' or 'run through you'?

Always say 'run you through'. The person (you, me, them) goes between 'run' and 'through'. Example: 'Let me run you through the code.'

Can I use 'run through' without a person?

Yes, but the meaning changes slightly. 'Let's run through the agenda' means 'let's go over it together.' When you add a person, it means you're teaching or explaining to them.

Is 'run through' appropriate in job interviews?

Yes. You can say 'I'd be happy to run you through my experience' or 'Can you run me through the role?' It's professional but friendly.

How do I ask someone to explain something using 'run through'?

Say 'Can you run me through [the topic]?' or 'Could you run me through how this works?' Both are polite and common in tech workplaces.

What Does "Run Through" Mean? | Speak Tech English

Commonness
Versatility
Formality	CasualFormalNeutral
Spoken ↔ Written	SpokenWrittenSpoken
Directness ↔ Diplomatic	DirectDiplomaticNeutral
Region

Say it like this

✓Let me run you through the changes real quick.

✓Can you run me through how this works?

✓I'll run the team through the new process tomorrow.

✓She ran me through the whole codebase in an hour.

✓Want me to run you through it before the meeting?

Real examples

Standup

"I can run you through the deployment steps after standup if you have questions."

Slack message

"Hey, can you run me through the new API changes when you have a minute?"

GitHub PR

"Happy to run you through my approach on a call if the comments aren't clear."

Jira ticket

"AC: Dev to run QA through the test scenarios before sign-off."

Retrospective

"Can someone run the new team members through how we do retros?"

Sprint planning

"Let me run you through the priority tickets for this sprint."

Pair programming

"Before we start, I'll run you through the existing code structure."

Don't say this

✕Can you run through me the code?

✓Can you run me through the code?— The person goes between 'run' and 'through'. The object (me/you/them) comes before 'through'.

✕I will run you through.

✓I will run you through the process.— You need to say WHAT you're explaining. The phrase needs an object after 'through'.

✕Please run through me at 3pm.

✓Please run me through it at 3pm.— Word order matters with phrasal verbs. The person comes after 'run', not after 'through'.

Other forms

base form

run (someone) through

"Let me run you through the architecture."

present continuous

running (someone) through

"I'm running the team through the new workflow."

past simple

ran (someone) through

"She ran me through the onboarding docs yesterday."

present perfect

have/has run (someone) through

"He's already run the interns through the codebase."

Often used with

run through the processExplain a workflow step by step

run through the codeWalk someone through how the code works

run through the changesExplain what's new or different

run through the detailsCover important points one by one

quickly run throughGive a fast overview

run through the basicsExplain the fundamental parts first

Similar words

walk throughVery similar; slightly more careful/detailed feel

go overMore general; can mean review rather than teach

explainBroader; doesn't imply step-by-step guidance

showVisual focus; often used with demos

take throughSimilar meaning; less common in tech

Opposites

skip overgloss overleave outsummarize briefly

Practice

Try it

4 quick exercises

Choose the most natural sentence

1. You want to explain the new feature to a teammate.

I will run through you the feature.I'll run you through the feature.I'll run the feature through you.

Find the error

2. Can you run through me the deployment steps?

'run' should be 'walk''through me' should be 'me through''steps' should be 'step'

Complete the sentence

3. She ___ me ___ the whole system in 30 minutes.

Rewrite this formally

4. I'll explain the process step by step.

More words

walk through go over onboarding demo pair programming code review sync up

Questions

Quick poll

Have you said "run (someone) through" in a standup this week?

Want more structured practice like this? Our English for Programmers course covers real workplace English in depth.

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