There vs Their vs They're: Easy Rules, Examples & Memory Tricks

If you mix up there vs their vs they’re, you are not alone. These three words sound the same, but they do very different jobs in a sentence. That makes them one of the most common homophone problems in English.

The good news is that the rule is easy once you break it into three parts. If you like quick grammar guides such as Meaning of Anytime: A Comparison Between Anytime and Any Time or Loaned or Lent: Which Word Should You Actually Use?, this article follows the same plain-English approach.

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Quick Answer

Use there for place or existence, their for possession, and they’re for they are.

Examples:

The books are over there.
The students forgot their notes.
They’re ready to begin.

If you can expand the word to they are, use they’re; If you are showing ownership, use their; If you are talking about location or starting a sentence like there is or there are, use there.

There vs Their vs They’re in One Table

Word	Meaning	Part of speech	Example
there	place, position, or existence	adverb, pronoun, or introductory word	Put the bag over there.
their	belonging to them	possessive determiner	The kids packed their* lunches.*
they’re	they are	contraction	They’re waiting outside.

The Simple Rule in One Sentence

There points, their owns, and they’re means they are.

That is the easiest way to remember the difference.

What Does There Mean?

There usually relates to place or existence.

There for Place

Use there when you mean in that place or to that spot.

Examples:

Your glasses are over there on the desk.
We walked there after dinner.
Please put the package there by the door.

In each example, there answers a location question.

There in “There Is” and “There Are”

Use there at the beginning of a sentence when you are saying that something exists.

Examples:

There is a mistake in the second paragraph.
There are two reasons this sentence sounds awkward.
There was too much noise in the room.

This use confuses some writers because there is not showing location here. It is helping introduce the sentence.

What Does Their Mean?

Their is the possessive form of they. Use it when something belongs to a group of people, a group of things, or a person whose gender is unknown or not being specified.

Examples:

The players washed their uniforms.
The neighbors repainted their fence.
Each student should bring their laptop.
The writers revised their draft before submitting it.

If the word answers whose?, you probably need their.

What Does They’re Mean?

They’re is a contraction of they are.

Examples:

They’re late because traffic was heavy.
I think they’re ready for the meeting.
They’re usually careful with punctuation.

Use they are as a quick test. If the sentence still makes sense, they’re is correct.

A 10-Second Test

Use this quick check when you are unsure:

Try expanding the word to they are.
If that works, use they’re.
If it does not work, ask whether something belongs to them.
If it does, use their.
If neither fits and the sentence points to a place or begins with there is or there are, use there.

Examples:

___ going to call you later.
They are going to call you later works, so use they’re.
The dogs chased ___ ball.
The ball belongs to them, so use their.
Your keys are over ___.
The sentence points to a place, so use there.

There vs Their vs They’re Examples in Sentences

Here are clear side-by-side examples:

Meaning	Correct sentence
place	The chairs are over there* near the window.*
possession	The children hung up their* coats.*
they are	They’re already inside the theater.
existence	There are three problems with that idea.
possession	The editors updated their* style guide.*
they are	I heard they’re* moving next month.*

Correct and Incorrect Examples

Correct

There is a better way to phrase that sentence.
The team forgot their schedule.
They’re trying to finish before noon.
The files are still over there on the shelf.

Incorrect

The team forgot there schedule.
Incorrect because the sentence needs a possessive form.
Their going to be late.
Incorrect because the sentence means they are going to be late.
Put the box over their.
Incorrect because the sentence needs a word for place, not possession.

When to Use There

Use there when:

you are talking about place or direction
you mean in that location
you are starting a sentence with there is, there are, there was, or there were

Examples:

We left the car there overnight.
There are several ways to revise that sentence.
The restaurant is right there across the street.

When to Use Their

Use their when:

something belongs to them
the sentence answers the question whose?
you need the possessive form of they

Examples:

The students submitted their essays.
The twins brought their own snacks.
Many companies update their websites every year.

When to Use They’re

Use they’re when:

you mean they are
the apostrophe replaces the missing a
the sentence still works after expansion

Examples:

They’re excited about the trip.
I know they’re doing their best.
They’re the ones who fixed the formatting.

Common Mistakes With There, Their, and They’re

One common mistake is writing too quickly and choosing the word that simply looks familiar. Because all three words sound the same, spell-check alone may not catch the problem.

Another common mistake is forgetting that there has two major jobs:

it can point to a place
it can introduce a sentence such as there is or there are

Writers also confuse their and they’re because both refer to people. The difference is simple:

their shows ownership
they’re means they are

If homophones slow you down, GrammarFlare’s guide to What’s the Difference Between Grey and Gray? covers another everyday usage question, and When to Use the Title Ms. vs. Mrs. vs. Miss helps with a different kind of common writing uncertainty.

Memory Tricks for There, Their, and They’re

Use these simple memory tricks:

there has the word here inside it, and both relate to place
their contains heir, which can help you remember ownership
they’re has an apostrophe because it is short for they are

Another quick reminder:

there = location or existence
their = belonging to them
they’re = they are

A Fast Proofreading Method

When you edit your writing, pause every time you see one of these words and ask:

Can I replace it with they are?
If not, am I showing possession?
If not, am I talking about place or existence?

That check only takes a second, but it catches a lot of real mistakes in emails, essays, captions, and website copy.

There vs Their vs They’re in Real-Life Writing

This rule matters in more than grammar worksheets. You may need it in:

emails
school assignments
resumes
reports
social captions
website copy
client messages

Examples:

There are two updates in today’s email.
The interns finished their slides.
I think they’re ready to present.
Please place the signed forms over there.

If you want more quick-reference writing help, GrammarFlare also has useful guides on What Is Plural for Mouse? and The Importance of Tone in Conversation: How to Be Heard.

American English Style Note

In standard American English, the rule is straightforward:

there = place or existence
their = possessive
they’re = they are

For dictionary support, compare Merriam-Webster’s entry for there, their, and they’re. For publishing guidance, Google Search recommends creating helpful, reliable, people-first content and following its current guide on optimizing for AI-powered search experiences.

Mini Quiz: There, Their, or They’re?

Choose the correct word in each sentence.

___ planning to leave after lunch.
The hikers forgot ___ map in the car.
Please set the groceries down over ___.
___ are several reasons the sentence feels unclear.
I think ___ going to enjoy the workshop.

Mini Quiz Answers

They’re
their
there
There
they’re

FAQ

What is the difference between there, their, and they’re?

There usually refers to place or existence, their shows possession, and they’re means they are.

How can I remember there vs their vs they’re?

Remember: there has here inside it for place, their shows ownership, and they’re expands to they are.

Is there ever possessive?

No. There is not the possessive form in this word group. The possessive form is their.

Is they’re always short for they are?

Yes. They’re is the contraction of they are.

Why do people confuse there, their, and they’re so often?

Because they are homophones. They sound the same, but they have different meanings and grammar roles.

Which is correct: their going to the store or they’re going to the store?

The correct form is they’re going to the store because the sentence means they are going to the store.

Sources

Final Takeaway

If you want the shortest rule possible, remember this:

there = place or existence
their = belonging to them
they’re = they are

When you are unsure, test they are first. If that works, use they’re; If not, check for ownership. If the sentence points to a place or begins with there is or there are, use there.

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Quick Answer

There vs Their vs They’re in One Table

The Simple Rule in One Sentence