“There” points to a place or existence, while “their” shows ownership.
You’ve seen it: a solid sentence that trips right at the end because one tiny word is off. “There” and “their” look alike, sound alike in many accents, and show up in daily writing—texts, schoolwork, emails, captions, job applications.
This piece gives you a fast way to choose the right one, plus a few habits that make the mistake fade out over time. You’ll get simple checks, real sentence patterns, and editing moves you can use on the fly.
Why This Mix-Up Happens So Often
English has lots of word pairs that share sound but carry different roles. “There” and “their” sit high on that list because they’re short, frequent, and easy to type without thinking.
Two things push the error:
- Sound overlap. In many speaking styles, “there” and “their” land on the same sound, so your ear can’t rescue you.
- Autopilot writing. When you’re moving fast, your hands pick the common spelling you’ve seen most, not the one your sentence needs.
The fix isn’t memorizing a rule card. It’s training yourself to spot the job the word is doing in that exact line.
What “There” Means And Where It Fits
“There” is a pointer. It can point to a place, or it can help a sentence say that something exists.
There As A Place Word
Use “there” when you can answer the quiet question: Where?
- Put the spare set over there by the bowl.
- We ate there last summer.
- Is your bag still there?
A quick swap test works well: if you can replace “there” with “in that place” and the sentence still feels right, you’re on track.
There As An Existence Starter
English also uses “there” to introduce a thing before we name it. You’ll see this structure in “there is,” “there are,” “there was,” and “there were.”
- There are two tickets left.
- There is a typo in the title.
- There were three messages from the teacher.
In lines like these, “there” isn’t a place. It’s a starter that lets the sentence bring new info in smoothly.
Mini Check: The “Is/Are” Trick
If your word sits right before is/are/was/were, it’s almost always “there.” Try reading the sentence without that starter. If the line still names what exists, you’ve found the pattern.
What “Their” Means And Where It Fits
“Their” is about ownership. It shows that something belongs to “them,” even if “them” isn’t written in the same sentence.
Them → Their
A reliable test: if you can swap the word with “my” or “our” and the sentence keeps its meaning, you want “their.”
- The students forgot their notebooks. (Swap: my notebooks, our notebooks.)
- I like their sense of humor.
- The cats found their way back home.
Notice what comes right after “their”: a noun. Their notebooks. Their humor. Their way. If you see a noun sitting right behind it, your odds are high that “their” is correct.
Their With Singular “They”
You’ll also see “their” used with a single person when the writer uses singular “they.” That’s common in modern writing when gender isn’t known or when a person uses “they” pronouns.
- If a student needs help, they can email their tutor.
The ownership link is still the same. The word still points back to “they.”
There, Their, And They’re In One Look
Most mix-ups aren’t just “there” versus “their.” “They’re” often joins the confusion. If you learn a one-glance check for all three, you’ll catch errors faster.
| Form | Main Job In A Sentence | Fast Check |
|---|---|---|
| there | Points to place | Swap with “in that place” |
| there | Starts an existence line | Often sits before is/are/was/were |
| their | Shows ownership by “them/they” | Swap with “my/our” |
| they’re | Short for “they are” | Expand to “they are” |
| there’s | Short for “there is/there has” | Expand to “there is” |
| their’s | Not standard English | Write “theirs” or “their …” |
| theirs | Ownership without a noun after it | Stands alone: “That one is theirs.” |
| there are | Plural existence line | Names things that exist |
Fast Tests You Can Run While You Type
When you’re writing, you don’t want to stop and pull up a grammar book. These quick tests take seconds and work in almost any line.
Test 1: Point Or Own?
Ask one question: is the word pointing, or is it owning?
- Pointing → “there”
- Owning → “their”
This sounds simple, yet it’s the core move. Your sentence will tell you which job it needs.
Test 2: The Noun Right After
Scan the next word. If the next word is a noun you can hold in your hand, you’re often looking at “their.”
- their phone
- their plan
- their score
If the next word is “is/are/was/were,” you’re almost always looking at “there.”
Test 3: The Expansion Trick
Expand the word out loud in your head.
- they’re → they are
- there’s → there is (or there has, depending on the sentence)
If the expanded version breaks the sentence, you’ve picked the wrong form.
Common Sentence Patterns That Trip People Up
Some sentence shapes invite mistakes. If you know the usual traps, you’ll spot them in your own drafts.
Trap 1: “Over There” And “Their Over There”
When you mean a place, you want “there.”
- Correct: The bags are over there.
- Wrong: The bags are over their.
Try the place swap: “over in that place.” If it reads fine, “there” is the match.
Trap 2: “There Dog” And “Their Dog”
When a noun follows, ownership is usually the goal.
- Correct: Their dog keeps barking.
- Wrong: There dog keeps barking.
Do the “my” swap: “My dog keeps barking.” That keeps the meaning, so “their” is the right pick.
Trap 3: “There” At The Start Of A Long Line
Writers sometimes avoid “there is/there are” because teachers once called it weak. That advice gets misread. The structure is normal English, and it’s fine when it keeps the sentence clear.
Use it when you’re naming that something exists, then place the real subject right after the verb:
- There are three steps in the process.
- There is one rule that fixes most errors.
How To Fix This In Your Own Writing
Knowing the rules is good. Catching your own slips is better. Here are two habits that work well for school and work writing.
Read Just The Ending
When you proofread, don’t read from the top like you wrote it. Start near the end and read one sentence at a time. Your brain can’t coast as easily, so small mix-ups pop out.
Circle The Tiny Words First
If you’re editing a paragraph, scan for short words that carry big meaning: there/their/they’re, your/you’re, its/it’s. Mark them, then run the quick tests from earlier. This takes less time than a full rewrite and saves you from embarrassing errors.
There Or Their In Schoolwork And Formal Writing
In essays, lab reports, and applications, these errors can cost trust. A reader may not say anything, yet they’ll notice. Fixing it is less about sounding fancy and more about keeping your message clean.
If you want a clear definition while you write, the Cambridge Dictionary entries for “there” and “their” show the core meanings and common uses.
One tip for formal pieces: avoid contractions inside quotes only when your style rules demand it. Outside of that, contractions are fine if your tone allows them. The bigger win is choosing the right word each time.
Memory Hooks That Don’t Feel Like Flashcards
If you like little mental hooks, these are light and practical.
There Has “Here” Inside
“There” contains “here.” Both relate to place. That’s not a full rule, yet it’s a fast nudge when you’re stuck.
Their Has “Heir” Inside
An heir inherits property. “Their” deals with property too. Again, it’s a nudge, not a law, yet it helps many writers choose the right spelling under pressure.
Quick Checklist For A Final Pass
Use this checklist at the end of a draft. It’s short, yet it catches most slips.
| Spot | What To Ask | Fix If Needed |
|---|---|---|
| Before is/are/was/were | Is this naming that something exists? | Use “there” |
| Before a noun | Does the noun belong to “them/they”? | Use “their” |
| Looks like they’re | Can I expand it to “they are”? | Use “they’re” |
| Ends in ’s | Is this “there is” or “there has”? | Write “there’s” only if it expands cleanly |
| Typed “their’s” | Am I trying to show ownership alone? | Use “theirs” |
| Ending of each paragraph | Do I see there/their near a noun or place phrase? | Run the “point or own” test |
Practice Lines You Can Borrow
Try rewriting these lines in your own words. That small act trains your brain to pick the right form without pausing.
- There are two reasons I chose this topic.
- The team shared their notes after class.
- We left the books there on the desk.
- They’re ready to submit their final draft.
- There’s a shortcut that saves time during editing.
If you want a self-check, hide the answer word with your finger, read the sentence, then choose the form that fits the job. It’s old-school, yet it works.
Autocorrect Traps To Watch For
Phones love “fixing” homophones. If you type fast, autocorrect may swap “their” into a place sentence, or toss “there” in front of a noun. Don’t trust the suggestion just because it looks neat.
Two small habits help. First, turn on your typing panel’s suggestion bar, then glance at the word it offers before you tap space. Second, when you see a change, undo it once and retype the word. That tiny pause forces your brain to run the “point or own” check, so you don’t send a message that reads wrong even though the spelling looks familiar.
One Last Way To Catch The Error On A Phone
On mobile, your eyes skim faster and autocorrect can swap words silently. Try this: after you finish a message, tap and hold to move the cursor across each “there/their/they’re.” Pause for one beat at each one and run the expansion or swap test. Ten seconds, done.