Giovani Dos Santos' shot from the left hit the bar after five minutes. Michael Hart then crossed from the right to Billy Jones and his effort was tipped away by Spurs goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes after eight minutes.
Spurs made it 1-0 after 14 minutes. Gareth Bale crossed from the left to Peter Crouch at the far post and his close-range volley went in off the bottom right post.
Aaron Lennon replaced the injured Dos Santos after 16 minutes.
Jermain Defoe had a cross saved by Preston goalkeeper Andy Lonergan after 21 minutes.
Eddie Nolan was booked for a foul on Alan Hutton after 23 minutes.
Jon Parkin's shot after 25 minutes and Hart's cross after half-an-hour were saved.
Lennon found Defoe and he made it 2-0 after 37 minutes. His first shot was parried but the ball rebounded back to him and he scored with a close-range header.
Nolan's cross was saved after 38 minutes and just before half time, Parkin had two efforts and Lennon one, which were saved.
Hart and Ross Wallace had crosses saved early in the second half, but Hart went off injured after 51 minutes and was replaced by Richard Chaplow.
Liam Chilvers was booked for a foul on Hutton after 55 minutes while Tom Huddlestone, Bale and Lennon had efforts saved.
After 63 minutes Defoe fouled Wallace, but his free-kick was saved.
Wilson Palacios fouled Parkin and Wallace's free-kick was saved after 68 minutes.
Robbie Keane replaced Defoe and Wallace had a shot saved after 70 minutes.
Lennon found Crouch and he made it 3-0 with a shot into the bottom right-hand corner of the net after 77 minutes.
Neil Mellor and Chris Brown replaced Stephen Elliott and Parkin after 78 minutes while two minutes later Vedran Corluka replaced Michael Dawson.
Mellor found Brown and he made it 3-1 after 83 minutes before Wallace's cross was saved three minutes later.
Huddlestone found Keane and he made it 4-1 in the 87th minute but Crouch got his hat-trick and made it 5-1 in the second minute of stoppage time.