Direct comparison
There, their, they’re
"There" refers to a place or introduces a clause; "their" is the possessive; "they’re" is short for "they are".
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Side-by-side comparison
| Dimension | There | Their |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | An adverb of place, or a word that introduces a clause. | A possessive determiner. |
| Meaning | In or at that place; also "there is / there are". | Belonging to them. |
| The third one | Not a contraction — never expands to "they are". | Not a contraction — never expands to "they are". |
| They’re for contrast | They’re (with apostrophe) means "they are", a different word. | They’re (with apostrophe) means "they are", a different word. |
| Quick test | Spot the word "here" inside it — both are places. | Try "our" in its place; if it fits, their is right. |
| Example | Put the books over there. | The students handed in their essays. |
| Second example | There are three options. | Their results were published. |
| Followed by | Often a verb (there is, there seems). | A noun (their car, their idea). |
| Common error | Writing "there car" when you mean belonging to them. | Writing "their" when you mean a place or "they are". |
Three words, three tests
Although there, their and they’re sound identical, each has a separate test. Use there for a place — it even contains the word "here", which is also a place — and for the sentence-openers "there is" and "there are". Use their to show that something belongs to people: it is the plural cousin of my, your and our, so if you can swap in "our" and the meaning holds, their is correct. Use they’re only when you can expand the word to "they are"; the apostrophe marks the dropped letter in are. So: "They’re putting their bags over there." If you run all three tests and none fits, you have probably chosen the wrong one — recheck which job the word is doing in the sentence.
They’re — the contraction in the trio
They’re is the one with the apostrophe, and it is simply "they" and "are" pushed together. The apostrophe is not decorative; it stands in for the missing a in are, exactly as it does in you’re and we’re. Because it is a pronoun-plus-verb, they’re is always followed by something that completes the idea — an adjective, a verb in the -ing form, or a noun phrase: "they’re ready", "they’re leaving", "they’re the winners". If the word in your sentence is not standing in for "they are", then it should be the place word there or the possessive their instead. Whenever you are unsure, say "they are" aloud in its place and listen for whether the sentence still works.
Common questions
FAQ
How do I remember the difference between there, their and they’re?+
Tie each to a clue. There contains "here", and both are places. Their relates to people and can usually be swapped for "our". They’re has an apostrophe because it is short for "they are". Run those three quick checks and the right spelling becomes obvious.
When should I use they’re?+
Use they’re only when you can replace it with "they are". For example, "they’re late" unpacks to "they are late", so the apostrophe form is correct. If the expansion to "they are" does not make sense, you want there (a place or "there is/are") or their (belonging to them).
Is "their" ever used for a place?+
No. Their is always possessive — it shows that something belongs to them — and never refers to a location. The place word is there, which contains "here". Writing "put it over their" is a common slip; the correct word is there.
Going deeper
