Use their for possession (their house). Use there for a place (put it there) or to introduce a sentence (there is). Use they're as a contraction of “they are” (they're happy).
The Core Difference
“Their” is a possessive adjective, like “our” or “your” — it always shows that something belongs to a group of people: their car, their decision, their children.
“There” refers to a place or location (over there, sit there), or introduces existence in a sentence (there is a problem). “They're” is simply short for “they are” — anywhere “they are” fits, “they're” works too.
- possession → their: their house, their opinion
- place / existence → there: put it over there; there is a problem
- = they are → they're: they're late, they're excited
Their, There, and They're in Context
Their flight was delayed by two hours.
The keys are over there, on the table.
They're planning to visit next month.
There is no easy answer to this question.
They're proud of their achievement, and everyone agrees it's well deserved there.
Common Mistakes
| Incorrect | Correct | Why |
|---|---|---|
| ✗ there house is huge | ✓ their house is huge | possession |
| ✗ put it over their | ✓ put it over there | place |
| ✗ they're car broke down | ✓ their car broke down | possession |
| ✗ there happy with the result | ✓ they're happy with the result | = they are |
| ✗ its over they're | ✓ it's over there | place |
THEIR has “heir” inside it — an heir inherits possessions, and “their” is about possession. THERE has “here” inside it — both are about place. THEY'RE has an apostrophe because a letter is missing from “they are”.
Related Questions
- Their vs There vs They're — full confusing-words comparison page with additional examples and exercises.
- All Confusing Words — browse all 300+ word-pair guides.
- All Questions — more quick-answer pages.
- Grammar Quiz — test your knowledge of confusing word pairs.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the fastest test for all three words?
For “they're”, try expanding to “they are” — if it fits, use “they're”. For “there”, check if the word points to a place, or notice that it contains “here” inside it. For “their”, check for possession — notice it contains “heir”, someone who inherits/owns things.
Why does their contain the word heir?
This is a helpful (if coincidental) memory aid — an “heir” is someone who owns or inherits property, and “their” is the possessive form, so linking the two by spelling helps many learners remember which word shows ownership.
Is there ever used without referring to a location?
Yes — “there” frequently introduces existence in a sentence without meaning a physical place: “There are three reasons for this”, “There used to be a shop here”. This is called an existential “there”.
Can they're be used at the start of a sentence?
Yes: “They're going to be late” is a perfectly normal, common sentence structure, exactly parallel to “We're going to be late” or “I'm going to be late”.
Why are all three words pronounced the same?
“Their”, “there”, and “they're” are true homophones in most English accents — they sound completely identical, which is precisely why the written distinction has to be memorised separately, unlike in speech where context alone makes the meaning clear.
Is theirs different from their?
Yes — “theirs” (no apostrophe) is the possessive pronoun that stands alone, without a following noun: “This car is theirs” (compare “their car”, which needs a noun). Never write “their's”.
How do I remember there relates to place?
“There” contains the smaller word “here” — both “here” and “there” are location words, just referring to different distances from the speaker (here = close, there = far).
Is over there one word or two?
Two separate words — “over there” is a common phrase pointing to a distant location, always spelled as two words with the place-word “there”, never “their” or “they're”.
What happens if I mix up their and there in an email?
It will still be understood from context by most readers, but professional and academic readers view it as a basic proofreading error, since the words have entirely unrelated meanings and mixing them signals carelessness.
Is this the most common spelling mistake in English?
It is consistently ranked among the most common spelling mistakes made by both English learners and native speakers, precisely because three completely different words sound identical and are used with very high frequency in everyday writing.