Thier or Their: The Complete Guide to Correct Spelling 

If you’ve ever typed “thier” instead of “their,” you’re not alone. The two spellings are easy to mix up because the letters i and e appear in a similar order. However, only one is the standard English spelling.

The correct spelling is their. Thier is a common misspelling of their, not a separate standard English word.

There are also two other words that often cause confusion: there and they’re. They sound similar to their, but they have different meanings and grammatical uses.

Thier or Their: Which Is Correct?

Their is the correct spelling in standard English. Thier is a misspelling.

Form	Status	Meaning	Example
their	Correct	Belonging to or associated with them	Their house is nearby.
thier	Incorrect	Common spelling mistake	❌ Thier house is nearby.
there	Correct	Refers to a place or introduces something	The keys are over there.
they’re	Correct	Short for “they are”	They’re waiting outside.

So, if you’re asking “Is it thier or their?”, use their.

The simple rule

Remember:

Their is the correct spelling. Thier is a misspelling.

For example:

• Correct: Their dog is very friendly.
• Incorrect: Thier dog is very friendly.

What Does Their Mean?

Their is a possessive determiner. It shows that something belongs to, is associated with, or relates to a person or group referred to as they.

For example:

• Their car is parked outside.
• The students finished their homework.
• The children brought their lunches.
• Someone left their phone on the table.
• The company changed their policy.

Their can refer to more than one person:

The players celebrated their victory.

It can also be used as a singular gender-neutral possessive form:

Every student should bring their notebook.

In this use, their refers to one person whose gender is unknown, unspecified, or not relevant.

What Does Thier Mean?

Thier is not the standard spelling of a separate English word. In ordinary English writing, it is generally a misspelling of their.

For example:

• ❌ The children packed thier bags.
• ✅ The children packed their bags.
• ❌ They forgot thier tickets.
• ✅ They forgot their tickets.
• ❌ I like thier new house.
• ✅ I like their new house.

If you see thier in a text, it usually means the writer intended to type their.

Why Do People Spell Their as Thier?

The mistake happens because English spelling does not always follow a simple pattern. When people type quickly, they can easily reverse the i and e in their, producing thier.

This is especially common because many English learners encounter the familiar spelling pattern ie or ei in words such as:

• believe
• receive
• piece
• ceiling

This can make the spelling of their harder to remember.

A useful approach is to memorize their as one complete word rather than trying to reconstruct its spelling every time.

Their or There: What’s the Difference?

Their or there are both correct words, but they have different meanings.

Their shows possession or association:

Their house is large.

There commonly refers to a place:

Their house is over there.

Notice the difference:

• Their = belonging to them
• There = a place or position

Examples With Their

• Their children are at school.
• I like their new car.
• The workers finished their project.
• They invited us to their wedding.
• The birds returned to their nests.

Examples With There

• Put the box over there.
• There is a problem with the computer.
• We went there yesterday.
• Your shoes are there.
• There are several books on the desk.

Their or They’re: What’s the Difference?

Their or they’re are also different words.

Their indicates possession:

Their house is beautiful.

They’re is a contraction of they are:

They’re happy.

You can test they’re by replacing it with they are.

For example:

They’re coming home.

Becomes:

They are coming home.

The sentence still works, so they’re is correct.

Now consider:

Their car is outside.

Replacing their with they are gives:

They are car is outside.

That doesn’t work, so their is required.

Easy memory trick

• Their = possession
• There = place
• They’re = they are

Their or There or They’re: A Simple Guide

These three words are often confused because they have similar pronunciations in many varieties of English.

Word	Main use	Example
their	Possession or association	Their house is new.
there	Place or existence	The house is over there.
they’re	Short for “they are”	They’re at home.

Try this quick test:

Use Their

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

The students opened their books.

Use There

Use there when referring to a place or position.

Your bag is over there.

There is also used in constructions such as:

There is a problem.

There are two chairs in the room.

Use They’re

Use they’re when you mean they are.

They’re ready.

They’re going to the store.

Is Thier a Word?

In standard modern English, thier is not the normal spelling of a standard English word. If you intend the possessive form associated with they, the correct spelling is their.

You should therefore write:

I spoke to their teacher.

Not:

I spoke to thier teacher.

How Do You Spell Their?

The correct spelling is:

T-H-E-I-R

A useful way to remember it is to focus on the middle:

the + ir → their

Don’t rearrange the i and e. The standard spelling is their, not thier.

Is Their an Exception to “I Before E Except After C”?

The familiar mnemonic “i before e except after c” can help with some English words, but it is not a reliable rule for every word.

Their is one of the commonly remembered exceptions to that rhyme.

For example:

• their
• weird
• foreign
• height

English spelling has many historical patterns and exceptions, so it’s better to learn the spelling of their directly rather than depending entirely on the mnemonic.

If you’re trying to remember whether the middle of their is ie or ei, remember that the correct spelling is:

their → T-H-E-I-R

Their Pronunciation

Their is generally pronounced like “thair”, with the exact vowel quality varying somewhat by accent.

In many dictionaries, its pronunciation is represented approximately as:

/ðer/ in some pronunciation systems
/ðeər/ in others

The initial th uses the voiced th sound, the same sound heard at the beginning of this or they.

Importantly, their, there, and they’re are commonly pronounced alike or very similarly in English. This is one reason learners can confuse them in writing.

Their Grammar

Their is primarily used as a possessive determiner:

Their house is on the corner.

Their teacher gave them homework.

The team celebrated their win.

It can also appear in the singular gender-neutral construction:

Someone left their umbrella here.

In traditional grammar, their was often associated with plural they, but modern standard English widely uses singular they with their as well.

Their Before a Noun

When their functions as a possessive determiner, it normally comes before a noun:

• their car
• their house
• their family
• their idea
• their work
• their children

For example:

The students submitted their assignments.

Common Thier or Their Mistakes

Because thier is a spelling error, the main correction is straightforward.

Mistake 1: Reversing the Letters

Incorrect:

She forgot thier keys.

Correct:

She forgot their keys.

The i and e have been placed in the wrong order.

Mistake 2: Using Their for a Place

Incorrect:

The restaurant is over their.

Correct:

The restaurant is over there.

The second sentence refers to a place, so there is needed.

Mistake 3: Using Their Instead of They’re

Incorrect:

Their going to arrive soon.

Correct:

They’re going to arrive soon.

Here, the intended meaning is they are going to arrive soon, so they’re is correct.

Mistake 4: Using They’re for Possession

Incorrect:

They’re house is beautiful.

Correct:

Their house is beautiful.

The house belongs to them, so their is required.

Thier or Their Examples

Here are natural examples showing the correct use of their:

1. Their house is across the street.
2. The students finished their work.
3. They brought their children to the park.
4. I like their new website.
5. The team celebrated their victory.
6. The employees returned to their offices.
7. The birds built their nest in the tree.
8. Everyone should check their email.
9. The customers received their orders.
10. They forgot to bring their tickets.

In every example, their expresses possession or association.

Their or There or They’re Examples

These examples can help you remember the distinction:

• Their car is parked outside.
• The car is over there.
• They’re waiting for us.

Another set:

• The students opened their books.
• Their teacher is standing there.
• They’re ready for the lesson.

The words may sound similar, but their grammatical functions are different.

Thier or Their Quiz

Try choosing the correct form in each sentence.

1. I like ___ new house.
   a) thier
   b) their
2. The children left ___ toys outside.
   a) thier
   b) their
3. The books are over ___.
   a) their
   b) there
4. ___ going to the concert tonight.
   a) Their
   b) They’re
5. Someone forgot ___ jacket.
   a) their
   b) thier
6. Put the bags over ___.
   a) their
   b) there
7. ___ working on a new project.
   a) Their
   b) They’re
8. The players wore ___ uniforms.
   a) their
   b) thier

Quiz Answers

1. their
2. their
3. there
4. They’re
5. their
6. there
7. They’re
8. their

If you remember their = possession, there = place, they’re = they are, most of these questions become much easier.

Is Their Used in British English?

Yes. Their is a standard English word used in British English as well as American English.

There is no British spelling of their that changes the ei sequence to ie. Thier remains a misspelling in standard British English.

So whether you’re writing for readers in the United Kingdom, United States, Canada, Australia, or another English-speaking region, the standard spelling of this word is their.

How to Remember Their Spelling

If you frequently type thier, try associating the spelling with a short phrase:

Their = T-H-E-I-R

You can also remember the three commonly confused forms together:

• Their → belonging to them
• There → a place
• They’re → they are

The important spelling detail is that their contains ei, not ie.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is correct, thier or their?

Their is correct. Thier is a common misspelling.

Is thier a correct English word?

No. Thier is not the standard spelling of the possessive word their. In normal English writing, use their.

What is the spelling of their?

The correct spelling is T-H-E-I-R: their.

What is the difference between their or there?

Their indicates possession or association, while there commonly refers to a place or position.

Their car is over there.

What is the difference between their or they’re?

Their expresses possession or association. They’re is a contraction of they are.

Their friends are here.

They’re happy.

Is their British or American English?

Their is used in both British English and American English. It is a standard English word in both varieties.

Why do people write thier?

Thier is usually a spelling mistake caused by reversing the i and e in their. Fast typing or uncertainty about English spelling patterns can make this error common.

Does “I before e except after c” work for their?

Not reliably. Their is one of the familiar exceptions to the mnemonic, so it is better to memorize its spelling directly as T-H-E-I-R.

How do you pronounce their?

Their is commonly pronounced approximately like “thair.” It is generally pronounced the same as, or very similarly to, there or they’re in many English accents.

Conclusion

The answer to “thier or their” is simple: their is the correct spelling, while thier is a common misspelling.

Remember the three easily confused forms:

• Their = belonging to them
• There = a place or position
• They’re = they are

If you’re writing about something that belongs to or is associated with someone, use their:

Their house is beautiful.

And if you catch yourself typing thier, simply switch the middle letters back to the correct order: T-H-E-I-R.