Quick answer: Their shows ownership (their car). There points to a place or starts a sentence (over there, there is). They’re is short for “they are” (they’re late).
Their
A possessive word, used before a noun to show something belongs to them: “The kids forgot their bags.”
There
Refers to a place, or introduces something: “Put it over there.” “There are three options.”
They’re
A contraction of “they are”. The apostrophe replaces the missing letter: “They’re coming tomorrow.”
Examples
| Incorrect | Correct |
|---|---|
| Their going to the beach. | They’re going to the beach. |
| I left my keys their. | I left my keys there. |
| There house is huge. | Their house is huge. |
The quick test
- Can you replace it with “they are”? Use they’re.
- Does it show something belongs to them? Use their (it contains “heir”, someone who owns things).
- Everything else? Use there (it contains “here”, a place).
Related guides
- A lot or alot?Which spelling is correct
- Your or you’re?Possession vs you are
- Its or it’s?The apostrophe rule
- Affect or effect?Verb vs noun
Catch this mistake automatically
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Frequently asked questions
How do I remember their vs there?
“There” contains “here”, which is a place. “Their” contains “heir”, someone who inherits and owns things.
Is “there’s” correct?
Yes. “There’s” is short for “there is” or “there has”: “There’s a problem.”
Can a grammar checker catch these mistakes?
Yes. SpellMistake flags their, there and they’re mix-ups based on the words around them.