Have you ever written a sentence and stopped because you weren’t sure whether to use they’re, their, or there?
These three words sound alike, but their meanings and grammatical functions are different. Mixing them up is one of the most common spelling mistakes in English.
Fortunately, the difference is easy to remember once you learn three simple rules.
They’re means they are. Their shows possession or association. There refers to a place or introduces the existence of something.
Here’s a sentence that uses all three correctly:
They’re taking their bags over there.
Understanding these differences will help you write clearer emails, school assignments, text messages, and everyday sentences.
QUICK ANSWER
| They’re | Means they are | They’re ready. |
| Their | Shows possession or association | Their dog is friendly. |
| There | Shows location or introduces existence | There is a dog outside. |
TL;DR: Use they’re when you can replace it with they are. Use their when something belongs to or is associated with someone. Use there for a place or expressions such as there is and there are.
1. What Is the Difference Between They’re, Their, and There?
The difference between they’re, their, and there is their grammatical function.
Although they sound the same in standard American English, they are used in different situations.
| Word | Grammar Function | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| They’re | Contraction | They are | They’re happy. |
| Their | Possessive determiner | Belonging to or associated with them | Their car is new. |
| There | Adverb or introductory subject | Location or existence | There are two cars. |
These words are homophones: words that sound alike but have different meanings or spellings.
The easiest way to avoid confusion is to identify what your sentence is trying to express.
2. What Does They’re Mean?
They’re is a contraction of they are.
The apostrophe replaces the missing letter a in are.
Examples:
- They’re going to school.
- They’re very excited.
- They’re working together.
- They’re waiting outside.
A useful test is to replace they’re with they are.
Correct: “They’re studying.”
Expanded: “They are studying.”
Both sentences have the same meaning.
However, “They’re house is beautiful” is incorrect because “They are house is beautiful” does not make grammatical sense.
3. What Does Their Mean?
Their is a possessive determiner that shows possession, association, or a relationship.
It usually appears before a noun phrase.
Examples:
- Their house is beautiful.
- Their parents are visiting.
- Their new teacher is friendly.
- Their favorite restaurant is nearby.
Notice that other words can appear between their and the main noun.
For example, “Their beautiful new house” is correct.
Their can refer to multiple people or one person when singular they is used.
Example: “Someone forgot their umbrella.”
4. What Does There Mean?
There commonly refers to a location or introduces a statement about something existing.
There for Location
- The keys are over there.
- Please sit there.
- We went there yesterday.
There for Existence
- There is a problem.
- There are five students.
- There was a loud noise.
In sentences such as “There are five students,” there does not identify a location. It introduces the existence or presence of something.
Grammatically, this is called an existential there construction.
5. They’re vs Their vs There Comparison Table
The following table shows how the words work in everyday sentences.
| Sentence | Correct Word | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| ___ going home. | They’re | Means they are |
| ___ house is large. | Their | Shows possession |
| The store is over ___. | There | Indicates location |
| ___ are many choices. | There | Introduces existence |
| ___ parents are kind. | Their | Shows association |
| ___ studying tonight. | They’re | Means they are |
Remember the combined example:
They’re taking their bags over there.
It demonstrates all three spellings in one sentence.
6. When to Use They’re in a Sentence
Use they’re whenever the intended meaning is they are.
It can appear before adjectives, verbs ending in -ing, and other expressions.
Examples:
- They’re tired.
- They’re studying.
- They’re at home.
- They’re going to win.
- They’re responsible for the project.
The Substitution Test
Original: “They’re working late.”
Expanded: “They are working late.”
The sentence remains correct.
Incorrect: “They’re books are missing.”
Expanded: “They are books are missing.”
Because the expanded sentence is incorrect, the original should use their.
7. When to Use Their in a Sentence
Use their when describing something that belongs to or is associated with someone.
Examples:
- Their apartment is small.
- Their opinions are different.
- Their friends arrived early.
- Their school won the competition.
- Their responsibilities increased.
The word can introduce a noun phrase containing adjectives or other modifiers.
For example:
“Their three younger children are visiting.”
Here, their expresses a relationship with the children.
Do not confuse their with theirs, which can stand independently.
8. When to Use There in a Sentence
Use there to refer to a place or introduce the existence of someone or something.
Location Examples
- Put the bag there.
- We arrived there early.
- The library is over there.
Existence Examples
- There is a message for you.
- There are several options.
- There was a mistake.
A helpful memory trick is that there contains here, another word associated with location.
However, remember that there also appears in existence statements, not just sentences about places.
9. 30 Easy Examples of They’re, Their, and There
These 30 sentences demonstrate how to use each word correctly.
10 Examples Using They’re
- They’re playing basketball.
- They’re coming to dinner.
- They’re learning Spanish.
- They’re very helpful.
- They’re going on vacation.
- They’re waiting for the bus.
- They’re excited about the trip.
- They’re working late tonight.
- They’re planning a surprise.
- They’re ready for the exam.
10 Examples Using Their
- Their dog is friendly.
- Their home is beautiful.
- Their parents are visiting.
- Their teacher is helpful.
- Their car needs repairs.
- Their children love reading.
- Their project won an award.
- Their favorite movie is funny.
- Their garden looks amazing.
- Their ideas are creative.
10 Examples Using There
- There is a book on the table.
- There are three apples.
- The restaurant is over there.
- Please wait there.
- There was a loud sound.
- We traveled there last summer.
- There are many opportunities.
- Put your shoes there.
- There is no reason to worry.
- I left my phone there.
10. How to Remember They’re vs Their vs There
You can remember the difference using three simple tricks.
They’re = They Are
Replace the contraction with they are. If the sentence still makes sense, use they’re.
Their = Possession
Think about someone’s belongings, relationships, or characteristics.
There = Place or Existence
Remember that there contains here, and it also appears in there is and there are.
Practice using all three words in one sentence:
They’re meeting their friends over there.
11. Common Mistakes and Corrected Sentences
Because these words sound identical, spelling mistakes are easy to make.
| Incorrect Sentence | Correct Sentence |
|---|---|
| Their going home. | They’re going home. |
| They’re dog is cute. | Their dog is cute. |
| Put the book over their. | Put the book over there. |
| There parents are here. | Their parents are here. |
| Their are five students. | There are five students. |
| There working late. | They’re working late. |
Why These Mistakes Happen
Writers sometimes choose a spelling based on sound instead of meaning.
For example, “Their going home” sounds correct when spoken, but their cannot replace they are.
The best proofreading method is to check each word’s grammatical function rather than relying on pronunciation.
12. There Is vs There Are: Grammar Rules
Use there is to introduce a singular noun phrase and there are to introduce a plural noun phrase in standard written English.
| Singular | Plural |
|---|---|
| There is one book. | There are three books. |
| There is a problem. | There are several problems. |
| There is a student outside. | There are students outside. |
In casual speech, people sometimes use there’s before plural nouns.
For example, “There’s two people waiting” occurs in informal conversation.
However, “There are two people waiting” is generally preferred in formal edited English.
13. Their vs Theirs and Singular They
Their and theirs both express possession, but they function differently.
| Their | Theirs |
|---|---|
| Their bicycle is new. | That bicycle is theirs. |
| Their decision matters. | The decision is theirs. |
| Their classroom is upstairs. | The classroom is theirs. |
Their introduces a noun phrase, while theirs can stand independently.
Singular They
Singular they refers to one person when gender is unknown, irrelevant, or when the person uses they/them pronouns.
Examples:
- Someone forgot their notebook.
- Every student should bring their ID.
- Alex said they’re arriving soon.
Even when they refers to one person, standard English uses they are, not they is.
14. They’re vs Their vs There in Texts, Emails, and Essays
Correct word choice improves clarity in both informal and professional writing.
Text Message
Incorrect: “Their coming over later.”
Correct: “They’re coming over later.”
Workplace Email
Incorrect: “There manager said they’re documents are ready.”
Correct: “Their manager said their documents are ready.”
School Essay
Incorrect: “Their are several reasons for this change.”
Correct: “There are several reasons for this change.”
Quick Proofreading Method
Read the sentence and ask:
- Can I replace the word with they are?
- Am I expressing possession or association?
- Am I referring to a place or introducing existence?
These three questions can resolve most cases.
15. They’re vs Their vs There Practice Quiz
Choose the correct word to complete each sentence.
Interactive Grammar Quiz0 of 6 answered
1. ___ going to the park.They’reTheirThere
2. ___ house is near the school.They’reTheirThere
3. The keys are over ___.They’reTheirThere
4. ___ are five books on the shelf.They’reTheirThere
5. I think ___ ready for the test.They’reTheirThere
6. The students finished ___ homework.They’reTheirThere
16. Frequently Asked Questions and Final Thoughts
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between they’re, their, and there?
They’re means they are, their shows possession or association, and there indicates location or introduces existence.
Is it they’re going or their going?
They’re going is correct because it means they are going.
Is it their house or there house?
Their house is correct because their expresses possession.
Is it there are or their are?
There are is correct when introducing the existence of multiple people or things.
How do you remember they’re, their, and there?
Replace they’re with they are, associate their with possession, and remember that there contains the location word here.
Can their refer to one person?
Yes. Singular they and their are accepted in modern American English.
Why are these words called homophones?
They are homophones because they sound alike but have different spellings and meanings.
Is there a pronunciation difference?
In standard American English, they’re, their, and there are generally pronounced the same way.
Final Thoughts
Understanding they’re vs their vs there is easier when you remember what each word does.
They’re means they are. Their shows possession or association. There refers to a place or introduces the existence of something.
The sentence “They’re taking their bags over there” is a useful reminder of all three spellings.
With regular practice, you can avoid these common mistakes in texts, emails, essays, and everyday writing.