I grew up in a house where the dinner table doubled as a comedy club. Not the glamorous kind. The kind where someone says, “Pass the peas,” and Dad replies, “I can’t. I’m trying to ketchup.”
So when people ask why I care so much about their, there, and they’re, my answer is simple: because one tiny apostrophe can turn a perfectly innocent sentence into a public spelling bee you did not sign up for.
The 10-second cheat sheet
- their = belongs to them (possession)
- there = over here/there (location) or there is/are (introduces something that exists)
- they’re = they are (a contraction)
If you remember nothing else, remember this: one of them owns something, one of them points somewhere, and one of them is two words wearing a trench coat.
Their: owns stuff
Their is a possessive word. If them owns it, it’s their.
Try the “our” test
Swap their for our (or his/her). If the sentence still works, you want their.
- Correct: “The dogs wagged their tails.” (The dogs wagged our tails. The grammar holds, even if the image raises questions.)
- Correct: “I borrowed their board game and returned it missing exactly one piece.”
Funny examples
- “The squirrels held a meeting about their nut budget.”
- “My neighbors love their new trampoline. I love it more at 6 a.m., apparently.”
- “The pirates polished their hooks and practiced saying ‘Arrr’ in customer-service voices.”
Memory trick: their has heir inside it. Heirs inherit stuff. Therefore, their is about stuff people own.
There: points
There is used for location or to begin sentences like there is and there are.
Use “here” as a clue
If you could replace it with here (or something location-ish), it’s there.
- Correct: “Put the snacks over there.” (You could also say “over here.”)
- Correct: “We went there once and immediately got lost in the parking lot.”
Also: “There is” and “There are”
This is sometimes called the “existential there,” which sounds like a philosophy class, but it just means you are introducing that something exists or is present.
English also loves easing into a sentence like it is testing the water temperature.
- “There is a spider in the bathtub that pays rent now.”
- “There are two kinds of people: those who proofread and those who send ‘kinda’ texts to their boss.”
Memory trick: there has here in it. Location. Pointing. Gesturing dramatically for effect.
They’re: has the apostrophe
They’re is short for they are. If you can expand it to “they are,” congratulations, you have found the apostrophe’s natural habitat.
The “expand it” test
- Correct: “They’re bringing dessert.” = “They are bringing dessert.”
- Correct: “They’re convinced the cat understands sarcasm.” = “They are convinced…”
Funny examples
- “They’re baking cookies, but emotionally they are baking chaos.”
- “They’re starting a band called ‘The Silent Letters.’”
- “They’re on a diet, which means I am also on a diet in their presence.”
Memory trick: the apostrophe in they’re is doing a job. It is replacing the missing a in are.
Common mix-ups
These words sound the same, and your brain is a speed-walking toddler dragging a backpack. It wants to get the message out. Spelling is a secondary concern.
Mistake 1: “Their” for a place
- Incorrect: “Put it over their.”
- Correct: “Put it over there.”
Mistake 2: “There” for ownership
- Incorrect: “I like there shoes.”
- Correct: “I like their shoes.”
Mistake 3: “Their” when you mean “they are”
- Incorrect: “Their going to win.”
- Correct: “They’re going to win.”
Memory tricks
1) The quick substitution trio
- If you can replace it with they are, use they’re.
- If you can replace it with here, use there.
- If you can replace it with our (ownership), use their.
2) Picture cues
- their: imagine a group holding a big box labeled “OURS.”
- there: imagine pointing across the room like you are directing traffic.
- they’re: imagine two words, “they” and “are,” squished into one seat.
3) Slow down at the danger zones
If the word appears right before a noun (shoes, dog, idea, plan), it is often their. If it appears near “is/are,” it is often there. If it appears before a verb ending in -ing (going, coming, leaving), it is often they’re.
Mini quiz
Pick the right word. Then check the answers below.
- ________ going to regret eating an entire bag of “family size” chips.
- Is that your jacket over ________?
- The raccoons defended ________ trash can like it was a castle.
- ________ are three cupcakes left, and I am not saying where.
- I think ________ dog is judging me.
Answers
- They’re (They are going to regret it.)
- there (Location.)
- their (Ownership.)
- There (There are.)
- their (Ownership.)
Last-resort trick
If I catch myself hesitating, I rewrite the sentence to dodge the homophone entirely. It is not cheating. It is strategy.
- Instead of “There is a problem,” try “A problem exists.”
- Instead of “I like their style,” try “I like that group’s style.”
- Instead of “They’re late,” try “They arrived late.”
Will this make you sound like a Victorian butler occasionally? Yes. Will it prevent you from texting “I love you and I’m proud of you” with a surprise spelling error? Also yes.
Related rabbit holes
If you enjoyed this particular brand of linguistic chaos, you might also like:
- Eggcorns vs. Mondegreens for misunderstood phrases that somehow survive in the wild.
- One Comma, Total Chaos for punctuation that changes everything.
- The Anatomy of a Dad Joke for the science behind the groan.
- Funny English for more friendly language mischief.
FAQ
Is “their” ever used for one person?
Yes. Their is often used as a singular, gender-neutral possessive: “Someone left their umbrella.” It is standard in everyday English and is increasingly accepted in formal writing too, though some more conservative style preferences still favor “his or her” or a quick rewrite.
What is the fastest way to catch mistakes?
Read the sentence out loud and run the swap test:
- Try “they are” for they’re.
- Try “here” for there.
- Try “our” (or “his/her”) for their.
Does autocorrect fix this?
Sometimes. Other times, autocorrect is like a confident friend who gives directions based on vibes. It will pick a word that is spelled correctly, even if it is the wrong one. The swap test is safer.