Their vs There vs They’re: What’s the Difference? (With Examples + Quiz)

Intro

Confused about their vs there vs they’re? This guide explains the difference, with clear examples, a memory trick, and a quiz to test yourself. Their, there, and they’re sound exactly the same, but they do three completely different jobs in a sentence. This trio is one of the most common sources of spelling mistakes in English, even for people who speak it every day.

The good news: each word has one clear job. Their shows ownership, there points to a place, and they’re is a short form of “they are.” Learn those three jobs, and this trio becomes easy.

What Does ‘Their’ Mean?

Their is a possessive adjective. It shows that something belongs to a group of people or things.

• The students left their bags in the classroom.
• The birds built their nest in the tall tree.
• That is their house at the end of the street.
• The players wore their new uniforms to the match.

Their always comes before a noun (their bags, their house, their idea). If you can replace it with “our” or “his,” then their is correct.

What Does ‘There’ Mean?

There usually points to a place, or it starts a sentence to say that something exists.

• Put the book over there on the shelf.
• We will meet there after lunch.
• There is a cat sitting on the roof.
• There are many books in this library.

A handy clue is hidden in the spelling: there contains “here,” and both words are about place.

What Does ‘They’re’ Mean?

They’re is a contraction — a shortened form — of “they are.” The apostrophe replaces the missing letter “a.”

• They’re going to the park this afternoon.
• I think they’re happy with the result.
• They’re my best friends from school.
• Look — they’re waiting for us outside!

If you can expand the word to “they are” and the sentence still makes sense, they’re is the right choice.

The Memory Trick

Try this three-part trick: Their has “heir” in it, like an heir who inherits and owns something — ownership. There has “here” in it — place. They’re has an apostrophe, which is your clue that two words have been squeezed together: they + are. Ownership, place, contraction — that’s all there is to it.

Their vs There vs They’re: Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature	Their	There	They’re
Job	Possessive adjective	Place or existence	Contraction of “they are”
Meaning	Belonging to them	In that place; something exists	They are
Example	Their car is red.	The car is over there.	They’re driving the car.
Test it	Replace with “our”	Replace with “here”	Expand to “they are”

Common Mistakes

❌ There going to school together.
✅ They’re going to school together.

❌ Put your books over their.
✅ Put your books over there.

❌ They’re house is very big.
✅ Their house is very big.

❌ There are happy today.
✅ They’re happy today.

Quick Quiz

Fill in the blank with their, there, or they’re in each sentence. Answers are given below.

1. ______ playing football in the park.
2. The children forgot ______ lunch boxes.
3. Please stand over ______ by the door.
4. ______ is a new teacher in our school.
5. I hope ______ coming to the party.

Answers: 1. They’re | 2. their | 3. there | 4. There | 5. they’re

FAQ

Is “there” only about place?

No. There also introduces a sentence to say something exists, as in “There is a problem.” In that use, it does not point to a place, but it still is not about ownership or “they are.”

Can “their” be used for one person?

Yes, in modern English “their” is often used as a singular possessive when a person’s gender is unknown or not specified, as in “Someone left their umbrella.” This is widely accepted today.

How do I remember the apostrophe in they’re?

An apostrophe in a contraction always marks missing letters. In they’re, the apostrophe stands where the “a” from “are” was removed. If there is no missing letter to mark, you do not need an apostrophe — so their and there never take one.

Do these three words sound exactly the same?

Yes, in most accents they are homophones: they sound identical. That is why spelling, not sound, is the way to tell them apart, and why the meaning tests in this article matter so much.

What is the most common mistake with this trio?

Writing “there” when you mean “their” (ownership) is extremely common, followed by writing “their” when you mean “they’re.” Reading your sentence back with the replacement tests catches both.

Conclusion

Remember the three jobs: their = belonging to them, there = that place (or something exists), they’re = they are. Run the quick test — “our,” “here,” or “they are” — before you write, and this trio will stop causing trouble.

Keep practicing with these guides: Your vs You’re, Its vs It’s, and Who’s vs Whose. For a deeper look at formal definitions, check the dictionary entry for their to see how the word is used in different contexts.