"They're," "Their" and "There": What's the Difference?

Don’t be fooled by the pronunciation of “they’re,” “their” and “there.” Although they sound similar, each has specific uses and they cannot be switched with one another without changing the meaning of your statement.

Let's take a closer look to see how each of these important words is used.

They’re

We’ll begin with “they’re.” This is the only word of the three that is a contraction: it is a short form of “they are.”

Use this when referring to at least two people or things, or to a person whose gender is unknown or nonbinary.

Using the other two words would result in strange, incorrect sentences.

• There all in middle school.
• Their five dollars each.
• Ask Dee if there coming to the party.

Their

“Their” is a determiner and indicates possession. So similar to “his,” “her,” “my” and "your," it means that something belongs to someone. In this case, it is the possessive form of "they." Let’s look at some examples. 

It is also the possessive form of "they" referring to a person who is not called a he or a she.

Let’s look at two of these examples using the other words.

• Jenny and John have really good taste; there home is amazing.
• As the soccer fans began to cheer, they’re voices filled the stadium.

These are incorrect!

There

Finally, there is “there.” This word refers to a place or location that is far from the speaker. It is the opposite of “here.”

• It will take us about an hour to get there.
• Paris? Yes, I went there last year.
• There’s the restroom, next to the check-in counter.

It is often used together with “over,” especially when the subject of the sentence isn't close.

• Your keys are over there on the counter.

When used with the verb “to be,” it indicates that something exists.

• There is a great bar just around the corner from my office.
• Paul said there was no movie theater in this town, but there is.

Let’s switch this word with the others we're exploring in this article.

• It will take us about an hour to get their.
• Your keys are over they're on the counter.
• Their is a great bar just around the corner from my office.

Again, these sentences are incorrect.

Wrap-Up

When you see them used properly, the purpose of each of these three words should be clear. Keep these differences in mind and you will understand them in conversations even though they sound the same.

Be extra careful when writing, however. Although the reader would likely be able to understand even if you've written the incorrect word, such mistakes can make your writing seem unprofessional.

For more explanations of vocabulary that is easy to confuse, be sure to read What's the Difference Between These English Words?

• Vocabulary
• what's the difference