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
| Meaning/job | Use | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| “they are” | they’re | Use the contraction if expanding it to “they are” preserves the sentence. |
| possession before a noun | their | Use the possessive determiner. |
| place or existence | there | Use the place/existential form. |
Quick tests
Two-stage homophone test
Can the word expand to “they are”?
If yes: Use “they’re.”
If no: If not, ask whether it marks possession before a noun; if yes use “their,” otherwise common place/existence uses take “there.”
Caveat: Singular “their” still has the same possessive function; number does not change this spelling test.
Examples
They’re waiting near the entrance.
“They’re” expands to “they are.”
Their tickets are on the desk.
“Their” marks possession before “tickets.”
There are two seats left over there.
The first “there” is existential; the second refers to place.
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.”