Quick Answer
There and their are both correct words, but they have different meanings. There usually refers to a place or shows that something exists, while their shows ownership or a connection to someone or something.
There or their is one of the most common spelling and grammar questions in English. The two words sound the same when spoken, but they do completely different jobs in a sentence. That makes them easy to mix up, especially when writing quickly.
Use there when you are talking about a place or saying that something exists. Use their when you mean that something belongs to them or is connected to them. For example, “The keys are over there” uses there for a place, while “They forgot their keys” uses their to show possession.
Once you learn what each word does, the difference becomes much easier to spot.
What Does There Mean?
There is commonly used to talk about a place or position.
For example:
- The store is over there.
- Please put the box there.
- I left my phone there.
- We stopped there for lunch.
- Your shoes are right there.
In these examples, there points to a location.
It can be thought of as the opposite of here in many situations.
Compare:
Your bag is here.
and
Your bag is there.
The first sentence points to the place near the speaker. The second points to another place.
What Does Their Mean?
Their is used to show possession or a connection.
For example:
- They brought their dog.
- The students opened their books.
- The players changed their uniforms.
- The neighbors cleaned their yard.
- The children packed their bags.
In each sentence, their tells us who something belongs to or is connected to.
You can often test their by asking:
Whose?
For example:
They forgot their tickets.
Whose tickets?
Their tickets.
That tells you that their is the correct word.
There or Their: What Is the Difference?
The easiest way to understand the difference is to focus on the job each word performs.
| Word | Main Use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| There | Place or existence | Your bag is over there. |
| Their | Possession or connection | They brought their bags. |
So remember:
There = a place or existence
Their = belonging to them
The words sound alike, but their meanings are different. They are commonly confused because pronunciation does not help you choose the correct spelling.
How to Use There for a Place
Use there when you are pointing to or describing a location.
Examples:
Put the groceries there.
She is waiting over there.
We went there last weekend.
The restaurant is just there.
I saw him standing there.
You can also use there with words such as:
- over there
- right there
- down there
- up there
- from there
- around there
For example:
The parking lot is over there.
We walked from there to the hotel.
In each case, there has a connection to location.
There Can Also Show That Something Exists
There does not always point to a physical place.
It is also commonly used in sentences such as:
- There is a problem.
- There are two seats available.
- There was a loud noise outside.
- There were several people at the door.
- There is something I need to tell you.
Here, there introduces information about something that exists.
For example:
There is a package at the door.
The word there is not telling you that the package belongs to someone. It helps introduce the fact that a package exists or is present.
How to Use Their for Possession
Use their when something belongs to or is connected to people represented by they.
Examples:
- They sold their house.
- The students finished their homework.
- The workers returned to their office.
- The family packed their bags.
- The players celebrated their victory.
In each example, their connects the noun to the people being discussed.
For example:
The students finished their homework.
The homework belongs to the students.
Therefore, their is correct.
Their Does Not Always Mean Physical Ownership
Their can show more than simple ownership.
It can also show a relationship or connection.
For example:
The company changed their policy.
Here, their identifies the policy as belonging or relating to the company.
Another example:
The team celebrated their success.
The success is connected to the team.
So, when you see their, think beyond physical ownership. It can show that something belongs to, comes from, or is associated with someone.
There or Their in Everyday Sentences
Here are some simple examples:
The kids are playing over there.
There refers to a place.
The kids left their toys outside.
Their shows that the toys belong to the kids.
Another pair:
Your friends are waiting there.
There points to their location.
Your friends brought their coats.
Their shows that the coats belong to them.
This side-by-side method is useful because it makes the difference easy to see.
There or Their in Questions
Both words can appear in questions.
Examples with there:
Is anyone there?
What is over there?
Who lives there?
Are there any seats left?
Examples with their:
Did they bring their tickets?
Where are their bags?
Is that their car?
Did you meet their parents?
Look at what the sentence is asking.
If it involves location or existence, there may be needed.
If it involves possession or connection, their is usually the right choice.
There in the Phrase There Is
One of the most common uses of there is in the phrase there is.
Examples:
There is a problem with the computer.
There is a message for you.
There is enough food for everyone.
You can also use there was:
There was a strange noise outside.
And there will be:
There will be a meeting tomorrow.
These forms are about the existence or presence of something.
There in the Phrase There Are
Use there are when the noun that follows is plural.
Examples:
There are three books on the table.
There are several cars outside.
There are two messages in your inbox.
There are many reasons to wait.
Compare:
There is one problem.
and:
There are three problems.
The choice between is and are depends on the noun that follows.
Their Before a Noun
Their normally appears before a noun.
Examples:
- their house
- their car
- their children
- their plans
- their business
- their decision
- their teacher
- their friends
You can use these in complete sentences:
They sold their house.
We discussed their plans.
I met their teacher yesterday.
This is a useful clue when you are unsure.
If you are describing something that belongs to or relates to someone, their is likely the word you need.
Their Can Be Singular Too
A common misconception is that their can only refer to several people.
In modern English, their can also refer to one person when the person’s gender is unknown, unspecified, or not relevant.
For example:
Someone left their phone on the table.
Here, someone refers to one person, but their is still natural.
Another example:
Every student should bring their notebook.
This refers to each individual student without specifying gender.
This use is widely accepted in modern English.
There or Their With People
Consider these sentences:
Their friends are waiting there.
This sentence uses both words correctly.
Their means the friends belong to or are connected to the people being discussed.
There tells us where the friends are waiting.
Another example:
They left their bags over there.
Again, both words have different jobs.
Their bags tells us whose bags they are.
Over there tells us where the bags are.
Common Mistakes With There and Their
One common mistake is writing there when you mean ownership.
Incorrect:
They left there bags in the car.
Correct:
They left their bags in the car.
Another common mistake is using their for a location.
Incorrect:
Put the box over their.
Correct:
Put the box over there.
A third mistake is choosing the word based on pronunciation.
Since there and their sound the same, listening to the sentence will not help much.
You need to look at the meaning.
There vs Their vs They’re
Although the keyword is there or their, there is a third word that often causes confusion:
they’re
These three words sound alike in normal speech, but they have different meanings.
There
Used for a place or to introduce existence.
The keys are over there.
There is a problem.
Their
Shows possession or connection.
They lost their keys.
They’re
Short for they are.
They’re waiting outside.
A quick test works well:
If you can replace the word with they are, use they’re.
If the word shows possession, use their.
If it refers to a place or introduces existence, use there.
Easy Memory Trick for There
A useful trick is to notice that there contains the word here.
there
here
Both words can refer to places.
For example:
Come here.
Go there.
So when the sentence is about location, think of here and there.
This can help you remember the spelling.
Easy Memory Trick for Their
For their, think about ownership.
Ask:
Whose?
For example:
They forgot their jackets.
Whose jackets?
Their jackets.
Another simple comparison is:
my jacket
your jacket
our jacket
their jacket
All of these words can show possession.
There or Their in Professional Writing
Both words are extremely common in professional writing.
Examples with there:
There are several items we need to discuss.
There is an issue with the current schedule.
Examples with their:
Employees should submit their forms by Friday.
Customers can check their order status online.
Using the correct word matters because the two words have different grammatical roles.
A spelling checker may not always catch the mistake. Both there and their are correctly spelled words, so the problem is often about meaning rather than spelling.
There or Their in Texting
The same distinction matters in text messages.
For example:
Are they there yet?
Here, there refers to a location.
Did they bring their stuff?
Here, their shows possession.
In very casual texting, people sometimes type the wrong word because the words sound identical. Still, the standard spellings remain there and their.
There or Their in School Writing
Students often encounter these words in essays, assignments, and tests.
Consider:
The students brought there books.
This is incorrect because the books belong to the students.
Correct:
The students brought their books.
Now consider:
The students left their books over their.
The second their is wrong because it refers to a location.
Correct:
The students left their books over there.
Learning to check the meaning of each word can prevent these mistakes.
There or Their in Business Writing
These words appear frequently in emails, reports, notices, and workplace messages.
Examples:
There are several updates to the schedule.
Employees should review their schedules.
There is a meeting at 10 a.m.
Managers should send their reports before Friday.
The difference is small in spelling but important in meaning.
Using the wrong word can make a sentence look careless, even when the intended meaning is obvious.
Practice Questions
Choose there or their in each sentence.
Question 1
The children left ___ backpacks at school.
Answer: their
The backpacks belong to the children.
Question 2
Please put the boxes over ___.
Answer: there
The word refers to a place.
Question 3
___ are several reasons to wait.
Answer: There
The sentence introduces the existence of several reasons.
Question 4
The players celebrated ___ victory.
Answer: their
The victory is connected to the players.
Question 5
Is anyone ___?
Answer: there
The question asks about someone’s presence in a place.
Question 6
The employees returned to ___ desks.
Answer: their
The desks are connected to the employees.
Practice With All Three Words
Now try there, their, or they’re.
Question 1
___ going to bring ___ own food over ___.
Answer: They’re going to bring their own food over there.
Question 2
___ friends said ___ waiting over ___.
Answer: Their friends said they’re waiting over there.
Question 3
___ is a problem with ___ car, but ___ working on it.
Answer: There is a problem with their car, but they’re working on it.
This exercise is useful because it shows how easily all three words can appear in one sentence.
Quick Comparison Examples
Here are some short examples to remember:
There
The store is over there.
Place.
Their
They parked their car outside.
Possession.
They’re
They’re waiting outside.
They are.
Another set:
Put it there.
That is their house.
They’re at home.
Each word has a different job.
Is There or Their More Common?
Both words are extremely common in English, but they are not interchangeable.
You should never choose between them based only on which one looks or sounds better.
Instead, check the meaning.
Ask yourself:
Am I talking about a place or existence?
If yes, consider there.
Am I showing possession or connection?
If yes, consider their.
This simple check solves most there or their mistakes.
Final Tips
Remember these rules:
- There can refer to a place.
- There can introduce something that exists.
- Their shows possession or connection.
- Their usually comes before a noun.
- There and their sound the same but have different meanings.
- They’re means they are.
- Ask where for there.
- Ask whose for their.
- Replace they’re with they are to test it.
- Do not choose the spelling based on pronunciation alone.
FAQs
What is the difference between there and their?
There usually refers to a place or introduces something that exists. Their shows possession or a connection to someone or something. For example, “The car is over there” uses there, while “They washed their car” uses their.
Is it their house or there house?
The correct phrase is their house when you mean that the house belongs to them or is connected to them. There house is incorrect.
How can I easily remember there and their?
Think of there as a place word because it contains here. For their, ask “Whose?” If the word shows ownership or connection, use their.
What is the difference between there, their, and they’re?
There refers to a place or introduces existence. Their shows possession. They’re is the short form of they are. These words sound alike, but their meanings and grammatical roles are different.
Can their refer to one person?
Yes. Their can refer to one person when the person’s gender is unknown, unspecified, or not important to the sentence. For example, “Someone forgot their phone” is standard modern English.
Conclusion
There and their are both correct English words, but they should not be used in the same situations. There is mainly connected with a place or with saying that something exists. Their shows possession or a relationship with someone or something.
The easiest way to remember the difference is to ask a simple question. If you are talking about where, think there. If you are asking whose, think their. For example, “Your keys are over there” uses there because it identifies a location. “They forgot their keys” uses their because the keys belong to them.
Once you connect each spelling with its job, the difference becomes much easier to remember. And if they’re enters the picture, test it by replacing it with they are. That quick check can help you choose the correct word every time.
