The choice between thier or their or there involves two different problems: spelling and meaning. Thier is a misspelling of their. However, their and there are both correct words. Use their for something belonging or connected to people or things. Use there for a place or to say that something exists.
A fourth form, they’re, means “they are.” It belongs in this comparison because the three valid forms commonly sound alike. That makes them homophones: words with matching sounds but different meanings or spellings.
confirms the distinction.
The useful habit is to check the word’s job before checking its letters. A correctly spelled word can still be the wrong choice for your sentence.
Quick Answer
When choosing thier or their or there, check meaning first. Thier is a misspelling of their, the possessive form used before a noun phrase. Their can refer to one person or several. There identifies a place or introduces something’s existence. If you mean “they are,” use they’re instead.
TL;DR
- Check the letter order: their contains e before i.
- An apostrophe does not belong in possessive their or theirs.
- A noun can follow their even when an adjective comes between them.
- “There is a delay” needs no reference to a physical place.
- Spell-check may miss a valid word used with the wrong meaning.
Thier, Their, There, and They’re at a Glance
| Form | Status or Job | Use It For | Original Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| thier | Misspelling in this context | Not a standard replacement for the other forms | Change “thier tickets” to “their tickets.” |
| their | Possessive determiner | A noun phrase connected to them | Their appointment starts at noon. |
| there | Place word or introductory word | Location or existence | Leave the forms there. There is a spare copy. |
| they’re | Contraction of they are | A statement about what they are or are doing | They’re checking the schedule. |
Why Thier Is a Misspelling
The standard possessive spelling is T-H-E-I-R, not T-H-I-E-R. Writing thier reverses the middle two letters. It does not create a new possessive form.
For example:
- Incorrect: “The artists displayed thier sketches.”
- Correct: “The artists displayed their sketches.”
Here, the sketches belong to the artists, so their supplies both the right meaning and spelling.
For a visual memory aid, put T + HEIR = THEIR. An heir is someone who inherits, so the association can help you remember possession. This is a spelling aid, not an explanation of the word’s origin.
Also, avoid applying “i before e” as a universal rule. The word their plainly has the opposite sequence.
This advice concerns the ordinary English possessive. If you encounter an unfamiliar spelling in a person’s name or a quotation, verify the original before changing it.
How Their Works Before a Noun
Their introduces a noun phrase connected to someone or something. A possessive determiner is a word that marks this relationship. Some school grammar books call it a possessive adjective.
The connection can involve ownership, family, work, or an idea:
- “The neighbors moved their bicycles.” The bicycles belong to them.
- “Ava and Leo thanked their aunt.” The word marks a family relationship, not ownership.
- “The designers explained their proposal.” The proposal comes from their work.
- “The birds stretched their wings.” The form also works with animals.
The noun does not have to come immediately after their. For example, “their bright yellow umbrella” places two describing words before the noun.
Compare these sentences:
- “Their cheerful guide welcomed us.”
- “Their guide welcomed us cheerfully.”
Both identify the guide associated with the same people. The describing words change position, but the possessive function stays the same.
When There Means Place or Existence
There has two especially useful jobs in this comparison.
Merriam-Webster’s entry for there
records its place meaning and its use as an introductory function word.
There for a Place
Use there when you mean “at, in, or to that place.”
- “The reading room is upstairs. We can study there.”
- “Please set the orange folder there, beside the lamp.”
In the first example, there refers back to the reading room. You do not need to repeat the location.
The familiar here/there contrast can help: “Bring the folder here” and “Take the folder there” point to different places.
There for Existence
Use there to introduce something that exists, occurs, or is available:
- “There is another explanation.”
- “There are two empty seats.”
- “Is there enough paper?”
The first sentence introduces an explanation; it does not locate it. Therefore, “Which place?” is not a complete test for every use of there.
For these simple present-tense patterns, match the verb to the following noun phrase: there is another explanation, but there are two explanations.
When They’re Means They Are
They’re combines the pronoun they and the verb are. The apostrophe marks the omitted a.
Expand it to check the meaning:
- “They’re reviewing the menu” becomes “They are reviewing the menu.”
- “I think they’re twins” becomes “I think they are twins.”
In both cases, the full version preserves the statement. However, “I borrowed they’re ladder” would become “I borrowed they are ladder.” That does not express possession; write “their ladder.”
The same expansion habit helps with
another contraction-versus-possession pair.
Using they are instead of they’re can make the tone more formal. However, contractions are not universally forbidden in scholarly writing.
The MLA’s published guidance on contractions
permits them in its publications while emphasizing context. That page discusses the eighth-edition handbook, so follow any newer or assignment-specific requirements that apply to your work.
A Four-Check Method for Choosing the Right Form
Use these four checks when deciding between the spellings:
- Check the letters. If you wrote thier, flag it for review. Do not replace it until you know the intended meaning.
- Expand the contraction. If your intended statement uses “they are,” they’re may fit: “They’re already inside.”
- Find the connected noun. If you mean something associated with them, use their: “Their reserved seats are inside.”
- Check place or existence. Use there for either job: “Wait there” or “There are seats inside.”
Read the complete sentence, not just the next word. For example:
- “They’re ready.” This describes the people: they are prepared.
- “Their ready response surprised me.” This describes a response associated with them.
Although ready follows both forms, the sentences need different words. A nearby adjective alone cannot make the decision.
Similarly, “___ teachers help beginners” permits Their teachers help beginners, not They’re teachers help beginners. The whole sentence determines which structure works.
Can Their Refer to One Person?
Yes. Their can refer to one person, including someone whose gender is unknown or a person who uses they/them pronouns.
Merriam-Webster’s entry and usage guide for their
support singular as well as plural reference.
Consider two situations:
- “Someone left their scarf at the front desk.” The writer does not know whose scarf it is.
- “Jordan uses they/them pronouns. Their presentation begins at three.” The writer is referring to a known person.
Neither sentence needs there, and neither requires a different spelling of their.
Also, singular reference does not turn they are into they is. If you continue the second example, write “They’re presenting first.”
The related pattern appears in “Everyone has their own locker.” Everyone takes has, even though their refers back to it.
The everyone or every one guide
explains that agreement in more detail.
Their, Theirs, and Other Useful Alternatives
Their and theirs express a similar possessive relationship, but they fit different structures.
Merriam-Webster’s definition of theirs
explains that it works without a following noun.
Compare:
- “That is their campsite.”
- “That campsite is theirs.”
In the first sentence, their introduces campsite. In the second, theirs stands on its own. Therefore, “That campsite is their” and “That is theirs campsite” are not the standard forms.
Neither possessive needs an apostrophe: write theirs, not their’s or theirs’.
Other substitutions have limits:
- Their → our: “Their campsite is quiet” and “Our campsite is quiet” share a grammatical pattern, but identify different people.
- There → at that place: “We stayed there” can become “We stayed at that place.” This does not work for introductory there.
- They’re → they are: The expanded version preserves the meaning and may suit a more formal tone.
These are grammatical alternatives, not a list of interchangeable synonyms. Likewise, here contrasts with location there, but not with there in “There is a solution.”
For the wider pronoun family, see
which also distinguishes their from theirs.
Common Mistakes and How to Correct Them
The correction depends on the message, not just the spelling.
| Incorrect Sentence | Correct Sentence | Why |
|---|---|---|
| We saved thier seats. | We saved their seats. | The seats relate to them; fix the letter order. |
| There appointment is tomorrow. | Their appointment is tomorrow. | Identify whose appointment it is. |
| Put the empty basket their. | Put the empty basket there. | The last word identifies a place. |
| Their bringing extra chairs. | They’re bringing extra chairs. | The intended meaning is “they are bringing.” |
| Their is a second entrance. | There is a second entrance. | Introduce the existence of an entrance. |
Now combine the valid forms:
“They’re carrying their instruments over there.”
They’re supplies “they are.” Their identifies the instruments associated with the people. Finally, there indicates the destination. All three belong in the sentence because each performs a different job.
Proofreading Without Relying on Sound
Review these words visually, because saying them aloud may not reveal the error. In ordinary American speech, the valid forms commonly share a pronunciation.
First, search your draft for thier and inspect each occurrence. Next, review their, there, and they’re in their full sentences. Check the meaning before accepting a suggested replacement.
Basic spelling tools may overlook the wrong choice because all three valid forms exist. For another example of that problem, see
Finally, test your corrected sentence again. An automatic change from “Thier waiting outside” to “Their waiting outside” still leaves the intended statement unfinished. The correct statement is “They’re waiting outside.”
The broader habit also helps with
choose the meaning and grammatical job, then confirm the spelling.
FAQs
Neither variety uses thier as the standard possessive spelling. American and British English use their. If you encounter the letters in a name or reproduced text, check that specific context before treating them as a spelling error.
Yes. For example, “There are fresh towels in the cabinet” introduces something available. However, the first position does not automatically require there. “Their towels are clean” and “They’re folding towels” also begin correctly.
For a statement about an action, write “They’re going,” meaning “they are going.” However, their going can appear in a different structure: “Their going away upset the children.” Here, going away functions as a noun-like activity.
Write theirs without an apostrophe when the possessive stands alone: “The larger desk is theirs.” Before the noun phrase, use their: “That is their larger desk.” Adding an apostrophe does not improve either form.
Yes. Both “their apartment” and “their apartments” are correct. The noun tells readers whether you mean one apartment or several. The form their stays unchanged, whether it refers to a single person or multiple people.
No. The words can contrast when they refer to locations, as in “Sit here, not there.” However, there in “There is another option” introduces existence. Replacing it with here changes the sentence’s focus rather than creating a simple opposite.
Test Your Understanding
Choose one answer for each question.
1. Complete the sentence about an appointment belonging to two clients: “___ appointment begins at ten.”
- A. There
- B. Their
- C. They’re
- D. Thier
2. Complete the statement: “___ are three messages in the inbox.”
- A. Their
- B. They’re
- C. Thier
- D. There
3. Which sentence correctly says that the volunteers are sorting donated books?
- A. They’re sorting donated books.
- B. Their sorting donated books.
- C. There sorting donated books.
- D. Thier sorting donated books.
4. Complete the sentence about an unidentified visitor: “Someone left ___ notebook near the elevator.”
- A. there
- B. they’re
- C. their
- D. theirs
5. Which sentence uses the independent possessive correctly?
- A. The blue helmets are their.
- B. The blue helmets are theirs.
- C. The blue helmets are their’s.
- D. The blue helmets are they’re.
Answer Key
- B — Their: The word introduces the appointment associated with the two clients.
- D — There: There are introduces the existence of three messages.
- A — They’re sorting donated books: Expanding they’re to they are produces the intended complete statement.
- C — their: Singular their can refer to the unidentified person and introduce the noun notebook.
- B — The blue helmets are theirs: Theirs stands alone as a possessive and needs no apostrophe.
Conclusion
Choosing thier or their or there starts with separating a spelling error from a meaning choice. Write their when a noun phrase belongs or relates to them. Use there for location or existence, and choose they’re when the statement means “they are.” Then check the letters: their places e before i. Reading the whole sentence is more useful than guessing from pronunciation or the next word alone.
Related Grammar and Language Guides
You’re or Your: What’s the Difference and Which Is Correct?
Everyone or Every One: Differences, Rules, and Examples
Theirself or Themself: Which Form Is Correct?
