Confusable words

there vs their: what's the difference?

there
adverb
vs
their
possessive adjective
? ?

There and their are pronounced the same, so the confusion is purely about spelling and meaning, not about how they sound out loud.

There

adverb

There points to a place, or is used to say that something exists.

  • The keys are over there, on the table.
  • There are three people waiting outside.

there full definition →

Their

possessive adjective

Their shows that something belongs to more than one person.

  • They forgot their umbrellas at home.
  • Their apartment is on the fifth floor.

their full definition →

Side by side

there their
What it shows A place, or existence Ownership by a group
Simple test Can you replace it with "here"? Can you replace it with "his/her" for one person?
Example check "put it there" means in that place "their car" means the car belonging to them

Quick rule

There is about place or existence. Their is about ownership. If you're pointing somewhere, it's there. If something belongs to them, it's their.

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