Its and It's
Its means belonging to it; it's is short for it is or it has. The apostrophe never means ownership here.
Usually taught in 3rd grade · these words sound exactly the same
Practice this pair
SpellCrush practice reads each word aloud, uses it in a spoken example sentence, and then asks your child to spell it — with instant feedback and a hint if they get stuck.
Two honest caveats. Practice is word-by-word: there is no mode yet that shows a sentence with a gap and asks which spelling fits, which is the format homophones really want. And the no-signup session runs a fixed set of sample words rather than the words on this page. Read the sentences below together first, then practice the spellings.
Its and It's at a glance
| Word | What it means | Example |
|---|---|---|
| its | belonging to it | The cat licked its paws. |
| it's | the short way of writing it is or it has | It's raining again. |
The memory trick
Say the sentence with it is instead. It is raining works, so that one keeps the apostrophe. The dog wagged it is tail does not work, so that one is its. The reason its has no apostrophe is that it belongs with his and hers, and nobody writes hi's.
Sentences that only work with one of them
Homophones are meaningless on their own, so learn them in sentences. Read each line aloud with your child, then cover the word and ask which spelling belongs there.
- The cat licked its paws.
- The old clock has lost its minute hand.
- It's raining again.
- I think it's time to go home.
Fill in the blank
Same sentences, word removed. Answers are underneath each one, so cover the page with a hand or a sheet of paper.
The cat licked ______ paws.
Answer: its
The old clock has lost ______ minute hand.
Answer: its
______ raining again.
Answer: it's
I think ______ time to go home.
Answer: it's
Where this fits in the year
Its and It's normally comes up in 3rd grade spelling. That page has the full word list for the year, with audio, so you can see what else is expected at the same stage.
Related pages
Your or You're
Your means belonging to you; you're is short for you are. Say the sentence with you are put back in - if it still works, you need the apostrophe.
Who's or Whose
Who's is short for who is or who has; whose asks who owns something. The same missing-letter rule that separates its from it's, with example sentences.
Commonly Misspelled Words
The 100 words people get wrong most, each with the misspelling they actually type and the one letter that trips them - from friend to accommodate.
Frequently asked
What is the difference between its and it's?
Its means belonging to it; it's is short for it is or it has. The apostrophe never means ownership here. In short: its = belonging to it; it's = the short way of writing it is or it has.
How do I remember which one to use?
Say the sentence with it is instead. It is raining works, so that one keeps the apostrophe. The dog wagged it is tail does not work, so that one is its. The reason its has no apostrophe is that it belongs with his and hers, and nobody writes hi's.
When do children learn its and it's?
its and it's usually come up around 3rd grade, though they keep causing errors well into adulthood. Because the words sound identical, no amount of reading them aloud will separate them — the meaning has to be attached to the spelling.