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.

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.

What About “There’s” and “Theirs”?

Two more forms belong to this group, and they cause their own confusion.

There’s is a contraction of there is or there has. It follows the same logic as they’re: the apostrophe marks a missing letter.

• There’s a mistake in the second paragraph. (there is)
• There’s been a change to the schedule. (there has)

Theirs is a possessive pronoun, and it never takes an apostrophe. It stands alone where their would need a noun after it.

• The blue folder is theirs.
• Our deadline moved; theirs did not.

Writing their’s is always incorrect. Possessive pronouns such as hers, ours, yours, and theirs take no apostrophe, for the same reason its does not.

A 10-Second Test

Use this quick check when you are unsure:

1. Try expanding the word to they are.
2. If that works, use they’re.
3. If it does not work, ask whether something belongs to them.
4. If it does, use their.
5. 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, the same apostrophe logic explains your versus you’re and its versus it’s. In every case, the apostrophe marks a missing letter rather than possession.

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:

1. Can I replace it with they are?
2. If not, am I showing possession?
3. 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.

The full apostrophe rules cover why their takes no apostrophe even though it shows possession, which is the part that trips up most writers.

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.

Mini Quiz: There, Their, or They’re?

Choose the correct word in each sentence.

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

Mini Quiz Answers

1. They’re
2. their
3. there
4. There
5. 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.

Is it there’s or theirs?

There’s means there is or there has. Theirs is a possessive pronoun meaning belonging to them. Their’s is never correct.

More Reading at GrammarFlare

• Your vs You’re
• It’s vs Its
• Who’s vs Whose
• To vs Too
• Apostrophe Rules
• Commonly Confused Words

Sources

• Merriam-Webster: there
• Merriam-Webster: their
• Merriam-Webster: they’re

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.