Your vs. You’re
“Your” is a possessive determiner used before a noun; “you’re” is the contraction of “you are.” The most reliable diagnostic is expansion: if “you are” fits the sentence, use “you’re”; if the word marks something belonging or relating to the person addressed, use “your.”
Use “you’re” when you can expand it to “you are”: “You’re ready” → “You are ready.” Use “your” before a noun to show possession or association: “your phone,” “your idea.” The apostrophe in “you’re” marks omitted letters, not possession.
Key details
Choose the right form
| Context | Use | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| possession or association before a noun | your | Use the possessive determiner. |
| the sentence means “you are” | you’re | Use the contraction when the expansion “you are” fits. |
| formal/register choice avoids contractions | you are | Spell out the contraction; this does not change the difference between “your” and “you’re.” |
Quick tests
Decision test
Can the word be expanded to “you are” without changing the intended meaning?
If yes: Use “you’re” (or “you are” if the register avoids contractions).
If no: If it marks possession/association before a noun, use “your.”
Caveat: The apostrophe in “you’re” marks omitted letters in a contraction, not possession.
Examples
Your keys are on the table.
“Your” determines the noun “keys” and marks association/possession.
You’re early.
“You’re” expands directly to “you are.”
You’re carrying your bag.
The sentence shows both roles: contraction “you’re” and possessive determiner “your.”
Usage notes
Further guidance
Expansion Test
Replace “you’re” with “you are.” If the expanded sentence is grammatical and keeps the intended meaning, the contraction is appropriate.
Register note
Cambridge notes that contractions are common in everyday speech and informal writing and may be less appropriate in some formal writing. That is a register choice, not a reason to spell “you’re” as “your.”
Your Is Possessive
Cambridge classifies “your” as a determiner meaning belonging or relating to the person or people being addressed.
Youre Is You Are
Cambridge defines “you’re” as the short form or contraction of “you are.”
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.
- Your — Cambridge Dictionary (opens in a new tab)Cambridge University Press · Your as possessive determiner
- You're — Cambridge Dictionary (opens in a new tab)Cambridge University Press · You're as contraction of you are
- Contractions — Cambridge Grammar (opens in a new tab)Cambridge University Press · Contraction formation and register
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.”