There vs. Their vs. They’re: How to Use Them Properly in Writing

Similar to other homophones such as “your” and “you’re” or “its” and “it’s”, “there”, “their,” and “they’re” are commonly confused in English because they share the same pronunciation. 

To employ them properly in writing it is important to understand the meaning of each spelling as well as how to use each term in different contexts. 

This guide outlines the definitions and common mistakes, plus it gives examples to help you improve your English grammar.

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Meaning of There

“There” is an adverb that refers to a place or location (e.g., “The book is over there” or, “I went there last week”). 

It can also be used as a pronoun to introduce a subject (e.g., There’s a missing piece in the puzzle; There was no one at the office).

Examples:

• There are ten kids in my dance class.
• My coworker just got back from Spain; I’ve always wanted to go there.
• There were no apples on our tree this year.

Meaning of Their

The word “their” is a possessive determiner (also called a possessive pronoun) that is used to show relating or belonging to a group or an indefinite (unknown) third person. 

In other words, “their” can refer to something that belongs to a group of people (e.g., “The Smiths live on Maplewood Drive. Their house is yellow.”).

Examples:

• Their favourite movie is playing this weekend.
• I tried calling my parents, but they didn’t answer their phone.
• Last week, everyone had to share their opinion in the staff meeting.

Definition of They’re

“They’re” is a contraction. That means it’s a combination of two words: “they” and “are.” “They are” refers to a person or a group of people who are participating in an action or state of being. 

Although contractions are common in everyday speech, their casual nature means they are typically reserved for informal writing such as blogs and dialogues.  

Examples:

• They’re going on vacation next week.
• Michael and Sam are always traveling; I bet they’re going to Europe next!
• They’re the kindest people you will ever meet.

When to Use There vs. Their vs. They’re: Examples

When trying to remember which spelling to use, you can use these little tricks. 

The word “there” contains the word “here.” You can use this to help you remember that “there” refers to a place, both literal and figurative.

The word “they’re” includes an apostrophe. We know that apostrophes represent missing letters in a contraction. Try replacing “they’re” with the full form “they are”. If the sentence reads clearly with this change, “they’re” is the correct spelling. 

Finally, the word “their” contains the word “heir.” You can use this to help you remember that “their” means belonging to or relating to.

Practice Examples:

• There coming to my party on Saturday.
  
  • Check for meaning: This sentence answers the question: “Who is coming to my party?” The spelling that refers to a person/group of people is “they’re”.
  • Correct as: They’re coming to my party on Saturday.
• That was the first time I have been their.
  
  • Check for meaning: This sentence is referring to a place. The spelling that relates to a place is “there”.
  • Correct as: That was the first time I have been there.
• I think my friend forgot they’re book.
  
  • Check for meaning: In this sentence, the word “they’re” refers to the owner of the book. We know that the possessive pronoun is spelled “their”.
  • Correct as: I think my friend forgot their book.

Additional Examples of There vs. Their vs. They’re:

• There were six interested investors at their annual gala.
• My neighbors said they’re going to their cabin for the weekend.
• I told my friends I wanted to move there because it is such as beautiful city. 
• There are many reasons that they’re considering moving to a new city.

Final Thoughts

There, their, and they’re can cause confusion when writing because the pronunciation of each word is the same. When trying to differentiate between homophones, it helps to understand the meaning of the word, as well as the context of the sentence.

Make editing a breeze and review your content for proper grammar, spelling, and punctuation with the Originality.ai Grammar Checker. 

Then, learn more in our top grammar guides:

• Accept vs. Except — What’s the Difference?
• It’s vs. Its — How to Use Them Properly + Examples
• What Are Irregular Verbs? + Examples of 33 Irregular Verbs
• Declarative Sentences: A Complete Guide

There vs. Their vs. They’re: FAQs

Why are “there,” “their,” and “they’re” so commonly confused?

“There”, “their,” and “they’re” are often mistaken for each other because they are homophones. Since there is no distinction in the pronunciation of these words, it is easy to mistake one for the other when writing.

How can you quickly check when to use “there,” “their,” or “they’re”?

Familiarizing yourself with the definitions of common homophones such as “there”, “their,” and “they’re” can help you to better understand how to use them when writing. Remember the helpful tricks to relate the different spellings to their meaning. Another tool you can use to improve your grammar is an online grammar tool like the Originality.ai Grammar Checker.