Their vs There vs They’re: What’s the Difference? (Examples + 1 Easy Trick)

Three words, one sound, and a mistake that shows up in emails, essays, and texts every day. Their vs there vs they’re confuses writers at every level, because the three words sound exactly the same out loud. The rule behind them is simple, though, and once you see it, you will rarely mix them up again.

This guide gives you that rule, five real examples for each word, a side by side table, a memory trick that sticks, and a short quiz. Read it once, and you will know which word fits your sentence next time you pause over them.

For another trio that trips writers up, see our guide to to vs too vs two, where three more lookalike words each do a different job.

Quick Rule: Their Is Ownership, There Is Place, They’re Is They Are

Their shows that something belongs to a group of people. There points to a place, or starts a sentence about something existing. They’re is a contraction, a short form of “they are.” If you remember only this line, you will get most sentences right.

Use these three quick tests before you write the word down:

• Can you replace it with “belonging to them”? Use their.
• Can you replace it with “in that place” or “over here”? Use there.
• Can you replace it with “they are”? Use they’re.

Keep these tests in mind as you read the examples for each word below.

What Does “Their” Mean?

Their is a possessive word. It shows that something belongs to a group of people. It always sits in front of a noun, the thing owned, just like “my” in “my book” and “your” in “your phone.”

1. The students left their books on the desks.
2. My neighbors painted their front door bright blue.
3. The dogs wagged their tails when they saw us.
4. Sara and Tom forgot their umbrellas at home.
5. The team celebrated their first win of the season.

Notice the pattern. Their comes right before a thing: books, door, tails, umbrellas, win. It answers the question “whose?” If your sentence means “belonging to them,” their is the word you need.

Their is also used for one person whose gender you do not know, as in “Someone left their jacket on the chair.” That use is standard in modern American English, and it follows the same ownership idea.

What Does “There” Mean?

There points to a place, or starts a sentence saying something exists, with “there is” or “there are.”

1. Please put the box over there, by the door.
2. We will meet there at six o’clock.
3. There is a new cafe on Main Street.
4. There are three books left on the shelf.
5. Look at the keys, there they are, on the table.

The first two examples use there for a place, and you could often replace it with “in that spot.” The next two use there to start a sentence about existence: a cafe exists, and three books exist.

This second use causes confusion, because there does not point to a place in those sentences. It introduces something present in a place or situation. If you can restate the sentence as “a new cafe is on Main Street,” the spelling is still t-h-e-r-e.

What Does “They’re” Mean?

They’re is a contraction of “they are.” The apostrophe shows a letter left out, the “a” from “are.” Whenever you write they’re, you should be able to swap in “they are” without changing the meaning.

1. They’re going to the beach this weekend.
2. I think they’re happy with the new plan.
3. They’re the best players on the team.
4. If they’re late again, we will start without them.
5. They’re learning to cook on Sunday nights.

Each example really says “they are going,” “they are happy,” and so on. The contraction just makes the sentence shorter and more natural.

This swap test is the fastest check for this trio. Replace they’re with “they are” and see if the sentence still makes sense. If it does, the apostrophe form is correct. If not, you need their or there.

Their vs There vs They’re: Side-by-Side Comparison

This table puts all three words together so you can compare them at a glance. Use it as a quick reference when you are editing your own writing.

Word	Job	Test	Example
Their	Possessive, shows ownership	Can you say “belonging to them”?	“That is their house.”
There	Points to a place, or introduces existence	Can you say “in that place”?	“The house is over there.”
They’re	Contraction of “they are”	Can you say “they are”?	“They’re moving in today.”

The three sentences sound the same in the key spot, but each word does a completely different job. That difference in job, not sound, picks the spelling.

The Easy Memory Trick

Here is the memory trick students remember best, because it uses the spelling of each word to tell you its job. There contains the word “here,” and here is a place word, so there is a place word too. Their contains the letter “I,” and “I” is a person, so their is about people and what belongs to them. They’re has an apostrophe, and the apostrophe is a clue that letters were removed to make a contraction.

Think of three small pictures inside the words. “Here” sits inside “there,” pointing to a spot. “I” sits inside “their,” standing for the people who own something. The apostrophe in “they’re” sits where the letter “a” used to be.

Try it on one sentence: “Put their bags over there, because they’re leaving soon.” The bags belong to the people, so their has the “I.” The bags go to a place, so there has “here.” The people are leaving, so they’re stands for “they are.”

10 Common Mistakes With Their, There and They’re

Each row shows a common error, the fix, and why the fix is right.

Wrong	Right	Why
There going to love this movie.	They’re going to love this movie.	“They are” fits, so use the contraction.
I like they’re house.	I like their house.	The house belongs to them, so use their.
Put the chairs over their.	Put the chairs over there.	A place is meant, so use there.
Their is a storm coming.	There is a storm coming.	Existence is meant, so use there.
They are their, by the gate.	They are there, by the gate.	A place is meant, so use there.
The kids lost there jackets.	The kids lost their jackets.	The jackets belong to them, so use their.
Their happy about the news.	They’re happy about the news.	“They are” fits, so use the contraction.
There books are on the table.	Their books are on the table.	The books belong to them, so use their.
I hope there coming to the party.	I hope they’re coming to the party.	“They are” fits, so use the contraction.
Their are many reasons to stay.	There are many reasons to stay.	Existence is meant, so use there.

Quick Quiz: Their, There or They’re?

Try these three sentences before you peek at the answers. Say the test out loud for each blank, and the answer usually follows.

1. ___ going to be late, so please save ___ seats over ___.
2. I saw ___ car parked ___ near the park, and ___ waiting for us.
3. ___ are many ways to help, and ___ friends know ___ all welcome.

Answers: 1. They’re, their, there. 2. Their, there, they’re. 3. There, their, they’re.

If you missed one, try the swap test on that sentence. Most misses come from rushing. Slow down, ask which job the word is doing, and the spelling follows.

Frequently Asked Questions About Their, There and They’re

How do you remember their, there and they’re?

Remember that there holds “here” for place, their holds “I” for people and ownership, and they’re is short for “they are.”

Can “their” be used for one person?

Yes, their is standard for one person whose gender is unknown or not stated, as in “Someone left their jacket here.”

Is “there” always about a place?

No, there also introduces existence, as in “There is a problem,” where it does not point to a place.

How do I know when to use they’re?

Use they’re only when “they are” fits in the same spot without changing the meaning of the sentence.

Does spellcheck catch their, there and they’re mistakes?

No, spellcheck usually misses them, because all three are correctly spelled words, so the error is in the choice, not the letters.

Is “their” ever a contraction?

No, their has no apostrophe and is never a contraction. Only they’re is a contraction, short for “they are.”

Which one is used in “There are many people”?

Use there, because the sentence says that many people exist in a place or situation, and “they are” does not fit there.

Conclusion

Their, there and they’re sound the same, but they do three different jobs, and now you know each one. Ownership takes their, place and existence take there, and “they are” takes they’re. That one line is the whole rule.

Keep the memory trick in your pocket, test each word before you write it, and this trio will stop slowing you down. Good writing is often just small words used in exactly the right place. Read the sentence once more before you send it, and the right word will usually stand out.