There vs. Their vs. They’re
“There,” “their,” and “they’re” sound alike but serve different jobs: “there” commonly refers to place or existence, “their” is possessive, and “they’re” is the contraction of “they are.” A two-stage meaning and expansion test resolves most cases.
Use “they’re” if “they are” fits. Use “their” for possession before a noun: “their house.” Use “there” for place (“over there”) and in existence constructions such as “there is” or “there are.”
Key details
Choose the right form
| Function | Choose | Example/test |
|---|---|---|
| place or location | there | over there |
| existence/presence construction | there | there is / there are |
| possession before a noun | their | their answer |
| they are | they’re | expand directly to “they are” |
“Their” can be singular in reference while remaining grammatically possessive; number/reference does not turn it into “there.”
Quick tests
they-are expansion
Can the word be expanded to “they are”?
If yes: Use “they’re.”
If no: Continue to the possession test.
Caveat: Use this as a diagnostic cue, not as a universal replacement rule; sentence meaning and grammatical structure still control the final choice.
possession test
Does the word mean “belonging to them/the person referred to” and directly modify a noun?
If yes: Use “their.”
If no: For common place or existence meanings, use “there.”
Caveat: Use this as a diagnostic cue, not as a universal replacement rule; sentence meaning and grammatical structure still control the final choice.
Usage notes
Further guidance
Singular Their Note
“Their” can also refer to a singular person when gender is unknown or irrelevant; that does not change its possessive function.
Their
Cambridge defines “their” as a possessive determiner meaning belonging to them.
There
Cambridge describes “there” as an adverb referring to place and also uses it in constructions that state that something exists.
Theyre
Cambridge defines “they’re” as the shortened form of “they are.”
Two Stage Test
First test “they are.” If that works, use “they’re.” If not, ask whether the word expresses possession before a noun; if yes, use “their.” The remaining common place/existence uses take “there.”
Sources and evidence
Sources are shown with the role they play in this guide. Historical or style-sensitive claims are kept within the evidence boundary described above.
- There, their or they’re? — Cambridge Grammar (opens in a new tab)Cambridge University Press · There/their/they’re distinction
Related across sections
These links are manually reviewed for a genuine cross-section connection.
Apostrophes and Possessives in Title Case
Apostrophes can mark possession, contractions, or omitted initial letters, and those uses should not be confused with quotation marks. Chicago also has specific title-case examples for initial-apostrophe contractions and for the compound form “O’Clock.”