"There" vs "Their" vs "They’re": What’s the Difference?
Quick Answer:
Use there for place or in structures like there is / there are. Use their when you mean belonging to them. Use they’re only when you can replace it with they are. Merriam-Webster and Britannica both describe the distinction this way, and Scribbr gives the same three-part breakdown.
Examples:
There = place or position
✅ Put the books over there.
Here, there means in that place.
There = introducing a sentence
✅ There is a problem with the report.
In this use, there does not mean a location. It introduces the clause. Scribbr lists this as one of the common uses of there.
Their = possession
✅ Their manager is on vacation.
Here, their means belonging to them. Merriam-Webster defines their as relating to or belonging to them.
They’re = they are
✅ They’re ready for the presentation.
This works because they’re is a contraction of they are. If they are fits, they’re works too.
Mixed example
✅ They’re presenting their proposal over there.
This sentence shows all three correctly:
they’re = they are
their = possession
there = location
Common Mistake:
The most common mistake is choosing by sound instead of function. Because there, their, and they’re are homophones, writers often pick the wrong spelling even when they know the meaning. Britannica and Merriam-Webster both note that they are commonly confused because they sound the same but mean different things.
Typical errors:
❌ Their going to be late.
✅ They’re going to be late.❌ Put your bag over their.
✅ Put your bag over there.❌ The students forgot there notes.
✅ The students forgot their notes.
Quick Tip:
Use this three-part test:
there → does it mean in that place or introduce a sentence?
their → does it show ownership?
they’re → can you replace it with they are?
A helpful memory trick from Merriam-Webster is that there contains here, which can remind you that it often relates to place.