Their vs There: Difference & Meaning

Their and there are two commonly confused English words because they sound alike but have different meanings and grammatical functions. Their is used to show possession or association with people or things, while there commonly refers to a place or introduces the existence of something.

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What Is the Difference Between Their and There?

The main difference between their and there is meaning.

Word	Main Use	Example
Their	Possession or association	They brought their books.
There	Place, location, or existence	The books are over there.

Their is a possessive determiner. It normally appears before a noun and indicates that something belongs to or is associated with them.

There is commonly an adverb referring to a place, but it can also be used to introduce a sentence or state that something exists.

• Their house is large.
• The house is over there.
• There is a house near the river.

What Does “Their” Mean?

Their means belonging to, associated with, or connected with them. It is the possessive form associated with the pronoun they.

For example:

• The players put on their uniforms.
• Sarah and John sold their car.
• The birds returned to their nest.

In each example, their identifies something connected with the people or things being discussed.

Their can also be used with singular they, particularly when referring to a person without specifying gender.

• Someone left their phone on the table.
• Everyone should bring their own lunch.
• A student should check their answers carefully.

This singular use of their is recognized in modern English dictionaries and style guidance.

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What Does “There” Mean?

There has several uses, but its most common meaning relates to a place or location.

• The keys are over there.
• We stayed there for two days.
• Please sit there.
• I have never been there.

It can also introduce a statement about something existing or happening.

• There is a new restaurant nearby.
• There are three books on the desk.
• There was a problem with the system.

Cambridge Dictionary identifies there as an adverb for referring to a place and also describes its use for introducing sentences about existence.

The British Council likewise explains that there is and there are are used to say that something exists or is present in a particular place.

How to Use “Their” Correctly

Use their before a noun when you want to show possession or association.

Their + Noun

• Their house is near the school.
• Their car is parked outside.
• Their children are very friendly.
• Their decision surprised everyone.
• Their teacher gave them homework.

A useful test is to replace their with his, her, its, or their belongings, depending on the context.

For example:

They forgot their keys.

The word their tells us that the keys belong to them.

How to Use “There” Correctly

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

There for Location

• Put your shoes over there.
• I left my phone there.
• We should go there tomorrow.
• Look over there.
• She is standing there.

There for Existence

Use there is with singular nouns and uncountable nouns, and there are with plural nouns.

• There is a book on the table.
• There is some milk in the refrigerator.
• There are two books on the table.
• There are several students outside.

The British Council specifically notes this distinction between there is for singular nouns and there are for plural nouns.

Their vs There Examples

Understanding the words in complete sentences makes the difference easier to remember.

Examples With “Their”

1. The children packed their bags.
2. They finished their project.
3. The students brought their books.
4. The players celebrated their victory.
5. The company updated their website.
6. The birds returned to their nest.
7. Everyone should bring their identification.
8. The neighbors painted their house.
9. The workers checked their equipment.
10. The dogs followed their owner.

In each sentence, their shows possession or association.

Examples With “There”

1. Your shoes are over there.
2. We went there last weekend.
3. Please wait there.
4. There is a problem with the printer.
5. There are five people in the room.
6. I have never been there before.
7. Look over there.
8. There is a new store downtown.
9. We will meet there at noon.
10. There were many people at the event.

In these sentences, there refers to a location or introduces the existence of something.

Their or There: Easy Ways to Remember

A simple memory trick can help distinguish the two words.

Remember “Their” as Possession

Think of their as being connected to they and something belonging to them.

• They → their
• They have a house → their house
• They have books → their books

If you can replace the word with a possessive idea such as belonging to them, use their.

Remember “There” as a Place

Think of there as containing the word here.

• Here = this place
• There = that place

For example:

Put the bag there.

You are identifying a location.

This location-based memory trick is also recommended by Merriam-Webster’s explanation of the three commonly confused words.

Common Mistakes With Their and There

One common mistake is using there when possession is intended.

Incorrect: The students finished there homework.

Correct: The students finished their homework.

The homework belongs to the students, so their is required.

Another common mistake is using their to indicate a location.

Incorrect: Put the books over their.

Correct: Put the books over there.

The sentence identifies a location, so there is correct.

Another frequent source of confusion is they’re, which is not the same as either word. They’re is a contraction of they are.

Compare:

• Their house is beautiful.
• The house is over there.
• They’re living in that house.

A useful test for they’re is to replace it with they are. If the sentence still makes sense, they’re is probably correct.

Their vs There vs They’re

Although the focus is on their and there, it is useful to understand they’re because all three words are commonly confused.

Word	Meaning	Example
Their	Belonging to them	Their car is new.
There	A place or existence	The car is over there.
They’re	They are	They’re buying a new car.

All three words can sound alike in ordinary speech, which makes spelling and context especially important.

Their vs There: Which One Should You Use?

Choose their when the word describes ownership or association.

The students opened their books.

Choose there when the word refers to a place.

The books are over there.

Choose there when introducing something that exists.

There are three books on the desk.

Choose they’re when you mean they are.

They’re reading their books over there.

Remembering these four patterns can eliminate most mistakes:

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

Summary

Their and there are both correct English words, but they have different meanings and grammatical functions. Their is used to show possession or association, while there commonly refers to a place or introduces something that exists.

The easiest way to remember the difference is to associate their with ownership and there with location. If you mean they are, use they’re instead.

FAQs

Is “their” or “there” correct?

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

What is the difference between their and there?

Their means belonging to or associated with them. There usually refers to a place or is used to introduce something that exists.

What does “their” mean?

Their is a possessive determiner meaning belonging to or associated with them. For example, “They brought their books.”

What does “there” mean?

There commonly refers to a place, as in “Put the bag there.” It can also introduce something that exists, as in “There is a problem.”

Is “their” possessive?

Yes. Their is used to express possession or association with people or things represented by they.

Is “there” a pronoun or an adverb?

There can have more than one grammatical function. It commonly works as an adverb when referring to a place and can also be used to introduce sentences about existence.

Are “their” and “there” pronounced the same?

They are commonly pronounced alike, making them homophones in many varieties of English. Their different spellings and meanings distinguish them in writing.

Can “their” refer to one person?

Yes. Singular their is commonly used when referring to one person without specifying gender, such as “Someone left their phone.”

How can I remember their and there?

Remember their for possession and there for a place or existence. You can also associate there with here because both can refer to locations.

Is “they’re” the same as “their” or “there”?

No. They’re is a contraction of they are, while their indicates possession and there generally refers to a place or existence.