'in spite of', 'despite', 'although', 'even though' and 'tho

'Although', 'even though', 'in spite of' and 'despite' are all used to link two contrasting ideas or show that one fact makes the other fact surprising. They can all be used at the beginning or in the middle of the sentence. 

Despite the rain, we enjoyed the festival.
We enjoyed the festival, despite the rain.

The main difference between 'although', 'even though', 'in spite of' and 'despite' is that they are used with different structures. 

After 'in spite of' and 'despite', we use a noun, gerund (-ing form of a verb) or a pronoun.

They never made much money, in spite of their success.
In spite of the pain in his leg, he completed the marathon.
Despite having a headache, I had a great birthday.
The train was cancelled. In spite of that, we arrived on time.

In spite of the fact that he worked very hard, he didn't pass the exam.

Despite the fact that he worked very hard, he didn't pass the exam.

After 'although' and 'even though', we use a subject and a verb. 'Even though' is slightly stronger and more emphatic than 'although'.

I enjoyed the course, although I would have liked more grammar practice.
Although we saw each other every day, we didn't really know each other.
Even though she spoke very quietly, he understood every word.
She didn't get the job, even though she had all the necessary qualifications.

Though can be used in the same way as although. 

Though I wasn't keen on the film, I thought the music was beautiful.

Though can also go at the end of the second phrase. This way of expressing contrasting ideas is most common in spoken English.

We waited ages for our food. The waiter was really nice, though.