there, their, they’re

(A similar topic is discussed in French in the article leur/leurs.)

Homonyms are words that sound alike but have different meanings. The words there, their, and they’re are homonyms.

Use there

• as an introductory subject
  • There is no easy solution.
• as an interjection
  • There, now I’m done.
• as an adverb meaning “in that location”
  • We’ll be there tomorrow.
• as a noun meaning “that place”
  • From there, we flew to Paris.

Tip: To choose the right spelling for a location, remember that the word here is contained in the word there.

Use their

• as a possessive meaning “belonging to them”
  • Their furniture is built to last.
• Tip: If you can substitute our, the word their is correct:
  • Their (Our) demands are clear.

Use they’re

• as a contraction of they are
  • They’re having a winning streak.
• Tip: If you can substitute they are, use they’re:
  • The pundits think they’re (or they are) right, but we know they’re wrong.