There, Their and They're
There is a place, their means belonging to them, and they're is short for they are.
Usually taught in 3rd grade · these words sound exactly the same
Practice these words
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.
There, Their and They're at a glance
| Word | What it means | Example |
|---|---|---|
| there | a place, or the word that starts a sentence like there is | Put the box over there by the door. |
| their | belonging to them | The girls left their coats on the bus. |
| they're | the short way of writing they are | Call the twins, they're late for dinner. |
The memory trick
Each one hides its own answer. There has here inside it, and both are about place. Their has heir inside it, and an heir is someone who owns things. They're has an apostrophe because a letter went missing: the a of are.
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.
- Put the box over there by the door.
- There are six eggs left in the carton.
- The girls left their coats on the bus.
- Our neighbors painted their front door yellow.
- Call the twins, they're late for dinner.
- I like these boots because they're waterproof.
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.
Put the box over ______ by the door.
Answer: there
______ are six eggs left in the carton.
Answer: there
The girls left ______ coats on the bus.
Answer: their
Our neighbors painted ______ front door yellow.
Answer: their
Call the twins, ______ late for dinner.
Answer: they're
I like these boots because ______ waterproof.
Answer: they're
Where this fits in the year
There, Their and They're 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.
Its or It's
Its means belonging to it; it's is short for it is. The apostrophe marks a missing letter, never ownership - here is the swap test that proves which.
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.
Frequently asked
What is the difference between there, their and they're?
There is a place, their means belonging to them, and they're is short for they are. In short: there = a place, or the word that starts a sentence like there is; their = belonging to them; they're = the short way of writing they are.
How do I remember which one to use?
Each one hides its own answer. There has here inside it, and both are about place. Their has heir inside it, and an heir is someone who owns things. They're has an apostrophe because a letter went missing: the a of are.
When do children learn there, their and they're?
there, their and they're 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.