Difference Between Their, There, and They're
Their shows possession (belonging to them): their house, their ideas. There indicates location or existence: over there, there are three. They're is a contraction of 'they are': they're coming, they're late. If you can substitute 'they are,' use they're. If it shows ownership, use their. Otherwise, use there.
Key Takeaways
- Their is a possessive pronoun showing that something belongs to a group of people.
- In formal writing, some style guides prefer 'they are' spelled out rather than 'they're.
- These words are homophones - they sound identical, which causes confusion in writing.
Explanation
Their is a possessive pronoun showing that something belongs to a group of people. Examples: Their car is blue. I like their music. The kids forgot their lunches. You can test by substituting 'his/her' - if it makes grammatical sense, 'their' is correct.
There indicates a place (over there, not here) or introduces a statement about existence (there is, there are). Examples: The book is over there. There are many options. Is anyone there? It often answers 'where?' or starts sentences introducing what exists.
They're is simply 'they are' shortened. When in doubt, expand the contraction and read the sentence. 'They're going to the store' becomes 'They are going to the store.' If it sounds right expanded, use they're. If not, choose their or there.
These three words have been confused since at least the 14th century, when English spelling began to standardize. 'Their' comes from Old Norse 'þeirra,' while 'there' descends from Old English 'þær,' and 'they're' emerged as contractions became common in the 16th century. The fact that three etymologically distinct words converged to the same pronunciation is a quirk of English evolution.
In professional settings, misusing these words undermines credibility more than almost any other grammatical error. A 2013 survey by the UK recruiting site Grammarly found that professionals with fewer grammar errors on their LinkedIn profiles reached higher positions and received more promotions. Getting their/there/they're right is one of the simplest fixes with the biggest impact on how your writing is perceived.
One reliable memory aid: 'there' contains the word 'here,' and both relate to location. 'Their' contains 'heir,' which relates to ownership or inheritance. 'They're' has an apostrophe, which always signals missing letters in a contraction. These built-in clues make the three forms easier to keep straight once you notice them.
Things to Know
- In formal writing, some style guides prefer 'they are' spelled out rather than 'they're.'
- These words are homophones - they sound identical, which causes confusion in writing.
- Autocorrect often chooses incorrectly, so proofread carefully.
- Singular 'their' (as in 'someone forgot their wallet') has been used since Chaucer and Shakespeare, though some style guides only recently accepted it as standard for gender-neutral reference.