Their vs There vs They're: The Simple Rule

Possession vs location vs "they are"

Quick Answer

Their = possession (belongs to them).

There = location or existence.

They're = "they are."

Quick test: Replace with they are (they're), our (their), or here (there).

Memory Trick: Their = possession, there = place, they're = they are.

πŸ”‘ Key Takeaway

Possession = their. Location = there. "They are" = they're.

Quick Comparison

Form Use It For Quick Check
Their Possession or ownership If our or your would fit, choose their.
There Place, position, or existence If the sentence means in that place or starts there is/are, use there.
They're Contraction of they are Expand it to they are. If it still works, use they're.

Common Mistakes

❌ Incorrect:

There laptops are already on the table.

βœ“ Correct:

Their laptops are already on the table.

The laptops belong to them, so the sentence needs the possessive form their.
❌ Incorrect:

Their presenting the quarterly results now.

βœ“ Correct:

They're presenting the quarterly results now.

The sentence expands to they are presenting, so it needs the contraction they're.
❌ Incorrect:

Please set the boxes over their.

βœ“ Correct:

Please set the boxes over there.

The sentence points to a place, so the location word there is correct.

🎯 Test Your Knowledge

1. ___ presenting the final proposal at 2 PM.

2. Put the signed copies over ___ by the printer.

Frequently Asked Questions

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

Their shows possession, there points to place or existence, and they're means they are. The fastest check is to ask whether the sentence needs ownership, location, or an expanded they are.

How do I test they're quickly?

Expand the word to they are. If the sentence still works, use they're. If it does not, choose their or there based on meaning.

When does there not mean location?

There also introduces existence, as in There is a problem or There are three options. In those sentences, it does not point to a physical place.

Word Origins & Etymology

Their comes from Old Norse 'ΓΎeirra' (of them), which replaced the Old English 'hiera.' Adopted during the Viking influence on English (9th-11th centuries), it has always been a possessive determiner.

There derives from Old English 'ΓΎΗ£r' (in that place), related to Proto-Germanic '*ΓΎar.' It's one of the oldest words in English, functioning as an adverb of place.

They're is a modern contraction of 'they are.' Like all contractions, the apostrophe marks the removed letter.

πŸ”— The Connection

Despite sounding identical, these three words have completely unrelated origins. 'Their' is Norse, 'there' is Anglo-Saxon, and 'they're' is a modern contraction. English merged their pronunciations over centuries.

Real-World Examples

See how these words work in genuine contexts β€” from business emails to academic papers.

πŸ’Ό Business:

The clients confirmed their attendance for the product demo on Thursday.

Their = possessive (belonging to them)
πŸ’Ό Business:

The conference room is over there, just past the elevators.

There = location/place
πŸ’Ό Business:

They're planning to announce the acquisition at next week's board meeting.

They're = they are
πŸ—£οΈ Daily:

The neighbors painted their fence bright blue.

Their = possessive
πŸ—£οΈ Daily:

Is there any milk left in the fridge?

There = existence ('there is/are')
πŸ—£οΈ Daily:

They're coming over for dinner tonight.

They're = they are
❌ Common Mistake:

There dog keeps barking at night.

Wrong: should be 'their' (possessive). The dog belongs to them.
❌ Common Mistake:

Their going to be late again.

Wrong: should be 'they're' (they are). Test: 'they are going' works.
❌ Common Mistake:

I left my keys over they're.

Wrong: should be 'there' (place). Test: 'over they are' makes no sense.
πŸ“ All Three:

They're parking their car over there by the entrance.

They are + possessive + location β€” all three in one sentence

Why Do People Confuse Them?

This is a triple homophone β€” all three words sound exactly the same (/Γ°Ι›r/) in all English dialects. Unlike some homophones where pronunciation gives a clue, there is zero auditory distinction. The brain stores all three at the same phonetic address, and during fast writing, the motor cortex may retrieve the wrong spelling. Autocorrect also struggles because all three are valid English words.

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