Their or There: Which Is Correct?

If you’re wondering whether to use their or there, you’re dealing with two completely different English words that happen to sound very similar. The correct choice depends on what you mean in the sentence.

Their shows possession or association with a person or people. There usually refers to a place, points something out, or helps form sentences such as “There is a problem.”

For example:

• Their house is near the school.
• The school is over there.
• Their dog is sleeping there.

A third word, they’re, is also commonly confused with these two. They’re is a contraction of “they are.”

The easiest way to remember the difference is this:

Their = possession
There = place or existence
They’re = they are

Their or There: Which One Should You Use?

Both their and there are correct English words, but they have different meanings and grammatical functions.

Form	Main use	Example
Their	Shows possession or association	Their car is outside.
There	Refers to a place	Put the bag there.
There	Introduces existence	There is a problem.
They’re	Means “they are”	They’re ready.

So, you should not choose their simply because it sounds like there. Look at what the sentence is trying to say.

If the word describes something belonging to someone, use their.

If the word refers to a place or introduces something that exists, use there.

If you can replace the word with they are, use they’re.

What Does Their Mean?

Their is a possessive determiner. It shows that something belongs to, relates to, or is associated with one person or more people.

Examples:

• Their house is beautiful.
• I found their keys.
• The students finished their homework.
• Someone left their phone on the table.
• The children brought their books.

In their house, the word their tells us whose house it is.

In their hair, their tells us whose hair is being discussed.

Their for One Person

Their can also refer to one person when the person’s gender is unknown, irrelevant, or when that person uses they as a pronoun.

For example:

• Someone left their jacket here.
• Every student should bring their notebook.
• If a customer has a question, they can speak to their manager.

This use of singular their is standard in modern English.

What Does There Mean?

There has several common uses, but it is frequently connected with place or existence.

There for a Place

When there refers to a location, it usually means something like “in that place” or “to that place.”

Examples:

• Your shoes are over there.
• Please sit there.
• I left my bag there.
• We went there yesterday.
• Don’t stand there.

In the sentence “Your shoes are over there,” the word there identifies a location.

There to Show Existence

There is also used to introduce something that exists or happens.

Examples:

• There is a problem with the computer.
• There are two books on the desk.
• There was a strange noise outside.
• There will be a meeting tomorrow.
• There were several people in the room.

Here, there does not mean a particular physical place. It helps introduce the existence of something.

Their or There in a Sentence

The easiest way to understand the difference is to look at them in complete sentences.

Examples With Their

• Their house is on the corner.
• I like their new car.
• The children are playing with their toys.
• Their teacher gave them homework.
• Someone forgot their umbrella.
• The company changed their policy.
• I spoke to their manager.
• Their dog is very friendly.
• They brought their own food.
• I found their names on the list.

In each sentence, their connects something with a person or group.

Examples With There

• Your coat is over there.
• I left the documents there.
• Please wait there.
• We have been there before.
• There is a problem.
• There are three chairs available.
• There was an accident nearby.
• There will be another opportunity.
• Look over there.
• Nobody was there when I arrived.

In the first group, their expresses possession or association. In the second group, there refers to a location or helps introduce existence.

Their or There or They’re

Many English learners confuse their, there, or they’re because the three forms can sound alike in many accents.

The meanings are different:

• Their = possession or association
• There = place or existence
• They’re = they are

Try this simple test:

Their

Ask yourself: Does this mean belonging to them or associated with them?

• Their house is large.
• Their children are at school.
• I borrowed their car.

There

Ask yourself: Does this refer to a place or introduce something that exists?

• The car is there.
• There is a problem.
• Put it there.

They’re

Replace it with they are.

• They’re happy. → They are happy.
• They’re coming soon. → They are coming soon.
• They’re outside. → They are outside.

If “they are” works naturally, they’re is the correct form.

Their or There for a Person

If you are talking about a person and showing possession, their may be correct.

For example:

• I met Sarah and visited their office.
• Someone left their phone here.
• Ask the person for their name.

If you are talking about a person’s location, there may be correct.

For example:

• Is Sarah there?
• I saw John standing there.
• The person is waiting there.

So the fact that a sentence is about a person does not automatically determine the word. The meaning of the sentence determines the correct form.

Their or There Hair

When talking about hair belonging to someone, use their.

Correct:

• Their hair is very long.
• I like their hair.
• Someone complimented their hair.
• They changed their hair color.

Here, their indicates whose hair you mean.

You would use there if you were talking about a location:

• The hairbrush is over there.

You would use they’re if the sentence means they are:

• They’re brushing their hair.

Notice that all three forms can appear naturally in a single sentence:

They’re over there, brushing their hair.

Here, they’re means “they are,” there identifies a location, and their shows possession.

When Do You Use Their or There?

Use their when you need to show possession or association.

Examples:

• their house
• their car
• their family
• their job
• their hair
• their opinion
• their children
• their teacher

Use there when you are referring to a place or introducing something that exists.

Examples:

• over there
• go there
• stay there
• there is
• there are
• there was
• there will be

A useful rule is:

If another noun follows the word and the meaning is “belonging to them,” their is probably correct.

For example:

• their house
• their parents
• their idea
• their work

If the word points to a location, there is usually correct:

• over there
• right there
• go there
• stay there

Their or There in Common Phrases

Some common expressions make the distinction easier to remember.

“From Their”

Use their when something belongs to or is associated with someone.

• I received a message from their office.
• We heard from their family.
• They came from their hometown.

“Out There”

Use there when referring to a place or situation.

• There are many opportunities out there.
• Someone is waiting out there.
• Be careful out there.

“Are You There?”

Use there when asking whether someone is present or in a particular place.

• Are you there?
• Is anyone there?
• Hello, are you still there?

Their would not normally work in this construction because it is a possessive word and normally needs a noun after it.

Their or There Difference

The central difference is grammatical.

Their is possessive. It tells you who something belongs to or relates to.

Their house is beautiful.

There can identify a location.

Their house is over there.

There can also introduce the existence of something.

There is a house near the river.

The words may sound similar, but they perform different jobs in a sentence.

Question	Use
Does it show possession or association?	Their
Does it refer to a place?	There
Does it introduce something that exists?	There
Can it be replaced by “they are”?	They’re

Common Mistakes With Their or There

Incorrect: The car is their.

If you mean the car is in a particular place, use there.

Correct: The car is there.

If you mean the car belongs to them, use their before a noun.

Correct: It is their car.

Incorrect: There house is beautiful.

If you mean the house belongs to them, use their.

Correct: Their house is beautiful.

Incorrect: I like there hair.

If you mean hair belonging to someone, use their.

Correct: I like their hair.

Incorrect: Their going home.

If you mean “they are going home,” use they’re.

Correct: They’re going home.

Incorrect: Put your bag their.

If you are referring to a location, use there.

Correct: Put your bag there.

A Simple Trick to Remember Their or There

Try connecting each word with a memory clue.

Their = Belonging

Think:

Their = possession

Examples:

• their house
• their car
• their books
• their hair

There = Place

Think:

There = location

Examples:

• over there
• right there
• go there
• stay there

They’re = They Are

Think:

They’re = they are

Examples:

• They’re happy.
• They’re working.
• They’re here.
• They’re ready.

This three-word test can solve most everyday mistakes:

Possession → their
Place → there
They are → they’re

Their or There Pronunciation

In many varieties of English, their and there are pronounced the same or almost the same.

A common pronunciation is approximately:

• their — /ðer/
• there — /ðer/

Depending on the accent and sentence, an unstressed form may sound closer to /ðər/.

They’re is also commonly pronounced similarly:

• they’re — /ðer/

This means pronunciation usually cannot tell you which spelling to choose. You need to understand the meaning and grammatical role.

For English learners, spelling is especially important here because several different words can have the same or very similar pronunciation.

Their or There Examples

Here are more examples showing the correct usage.

Examples With Their

• Their house has a red door.
• I spoke with their teacher.
• Their children are playing outside.
• They forgot their tickets.
• We visited their office.
• Their dog ran into the garden.
• I understand their concern.
• She borrowed their car.
• The students opened their books.
• Someone left their wallet on the table.

Examples With There

• Your keys are there.
• Please stand there.
• I have never been there.
• Look over there.
• There is a message for you.
• There are five people waiting.
• There was no one there.
• We can meet there tomorrow.
• Put the box there.
• Is your brother there?

Examples With They’re

• They’re waiting outside.
• They’re very friendly.
• They’re going to school.
• They’re ready to leave.
• They’re working today.
• They’re coming tomorrow.
• They’re excited about the trip.
• They’re sitting over there.
• They’re responsible for the project.
• They’re learning English.

Their or There Worksheet

A simple worksheet can help you practice the difference. Choose their, there, or they’re for each blank.

1. ___ house is near the park.
2. Please put the books over ___.
3. ___ going to arrive soon.
4. The students finished ___ homework.
5. Is anyone ___?
6. ___ dog is sleeping.
7. ___ are several options available.
8. I think ___ waiting outside.
9. Someone left ___ phone here.
10. Look over ___.

Answers

1. Their
2. there
3. They’re
4. their
5. there
6. Their
7. There
8. They’re
9. their
10. there

Is It Their or There?

There is no single answer without context because their and there are both correct words.

Use their for possession or association:

I like their new house.

Use there for a place:

Their new house is over there.

Use there to introduce existence:

There is a new house on the street.

The surrounding words usually make the correct choice clear.

Which Their or There Should You Use?

Choose their when the word is connected to something belonging to or associated with a person or group.

Choose there when you are referring to a location or introducing something that exists.

For example:

Their car is parked there.

In this sentence, their identifies whose car it is, while there identifies where the car is.

Is “Their” a Correct Word?

Yes. Their is a standard English word.

It is a possessive determiner used with nouns:

• their home
• their family
• their work
• their opinion
• their children

It can also be used with singular they:

Every employee should check their email.

Is “There” a Correct Word?

Yes. There is also a standard English word with several uses.

It can refer to a place:

The restaurant is over there.

It can introduce existence:

There is a restaurant nearby.

It can also occur in expressions such as:

There you go.

Its meaning depends on the sentence.

Why Do People Confuse Their or There?

The main reason is pronunciation. In many accents, their, there, or they’re sound the same or nearly the same.

When people are speaking, the listener can usually understand the intended meaning from context. In writing, however, you have to select the correct spelling.

Another reason is that all three forms are extremely common, so even fluent English speakers can occasionally make mistakes when typing quickly.

The best solution is not to rely on pronunciation. Instead, check the function of the word.

Ask:

1. Is it showing possession? → their
2. Is it referring to a place or introducing existence? → there
3. Does it mean “they are”? → they’re

Frequently Asked Questions

Is their or there correct?

Both their and there are correct English words. Their expresses possession or association, while there usually refers to a place or introduces something that exists.

When do you use their in a sentence?

Use their when you want to show possession or association.

They left their bags at home.

When do you use there in a sentence?

Use there when referring to a location or introducing something that exists.

Your bags are there.

There are two bags on the table.

Is their used for a person?

Yes. Their can refer to something belonging to one person or multiple people. Singular their is commonly used when the person’s gender is unknown, irrelevant, or when the person uses singular they.

Is it their or there hair?

Use their when referring to hair belonging to someone.

Their hair looks great.

Is “Are you their?” correct?

If you are asking whether someone is present or in a particular place, use there:

Are you there?

Their is possessive and normally needs a noun after it.

Is it “from their” or “from there”?

Both can be correct, depending on the meaning.

Use from their when a noun follows and the meaning involves possession or association:

I received a message from their office.

Use from there when referring to a location:

We walked from there to the station.

Is “out their” or “out there” correct?

Out there is the standard phrase when referring to a place or situation.

There are many opportunities out there.

Their would only be appropriate when it expresses possession before a noun.

Can their or there sound the same?

Yes. In many accents, their and there are homophones or near-homophones. They may have the same pronunciation even though their meanings and grammatical functions are different.

How can I remember their or there?

Remember this simple rule:

Their = possession
There = place or existence
They’re = they are

If you can replace the word with they are, use they’re.

Conclusion

The choice between their or there becomes much easier once you focus on meaning rather than pronunciation.

Use their when you are showing possession or association:

Their house is beautiful.

Use there when you are referring to a place:

Their house is over there.

Use there when introducing something that exists:

There is a house nearby.

And remember they’re when the intended meaning is they are:

They’re at their house.

The words can sound very similar, but their grammatical jobs are different. When you’re unsure, check whether you’re talking about possession, place, or “they are.” That quick test will help you choose the correct form in most sentences.