There, Their and They’re: What’s the Difference?
There are so many people out there creating microcopy through channels such as Twitter and Facebook. And, unfortunately, so many make the common mistake for the difference between ‘there’, ‘their’ and ‘they’re’.
So often you’ll see them being used interchangeably throughout conversational text (and sometimes in academic or occupational text, too). The reason behind this is simply because the majority of people read aloud in their heads before typing down their thoughts. And, with the difference between ‘there’, ‘their’ and ‘they’re’ being only spelling and meaning, they become a homophone so often mixed up.
Homophones and their meanings were a key part of the younger days in kindergarten and reception when our brains are being introduced to dozens of new things every day. Then, they’re not really taught after that but, more so, expected.
In short, homophones are two or more words that sound the same when spoken but are spelled differently or have different meanings. I.e., the difference between ‘there’, ‘their’ and ‘they’re’.
On the one hand, there are homophones spelled the same but their meaning changes depending on their context. For example, “Can I borrow your favourite book please?” and “I’ll book the usual cottage for our holiday in July.” Reading material and reservations for Summer may not seem similar but the words we use for them are!
On the other hand, there are homophones and their meanings that sound the same when spoken but are spelled completely differently when written down! And the biggest example for this would be the difference between ‘there’, ‘their’ and ‘they’re’.
Don’t worry, it’s not too much of a common occurrence, especially with a triple-whammy like ‘there’, ‘their’ and ‘they’re’. Homophones are actually most commonly found in pairs, but you just have to keep your eye out for the others that do come in threes. Here, we’ll give you another example: “The Queen will reign from now on.”, “The rain is really getting heavy now!” and “He wanted to give the horse a free rein to go where he pleased.”.
Ah, the English language can be brutal, sometimes. In fact, it’s fun and bizarre aspects such as homophones and their meanings that are the reason so many multilingual people will suggest learning English last!
But let’s get back to the main event: The difference between ‘there’, ‘their’ and ‘they’re’ might not immediately seem to be that important. After all, they all sound the same, in conversation they might as well be interchangeable. But, written down, there are some crucial differences you should be aware of!
There
First up is ‘there’. It’s a fun one because it can be used as both an adjective and a noun. More often than not, ‘there’ is used as a function word at the start of a sentence.
For example:
There is nothing more to say.
There could be a way.
There must be a better explanation!
Then again, as an adjective ‘there’ can also be used to provide emphasis:
Those dogs there look a bit funny.
And as a measure of being supportive:
She is always there for me.
Also, even as a greeting/substitute for a name:
Hi there! You're doing great!
But, as a noun, ‘there’ is generally locational, as it refers to a place. There is actually one helpful hint we can look to for distinguishing the difference between ‘there’, ‘their’ and ‘they’re’ when we want to talk about ‘there’: it has ‘here’ written into it! So, always think ‘here and there’ for anything that refers to a place.
For example:
I found the keys you were looking for over there.
Visiting Spain was wonderful, I love it there.
There goes the last bus!
2. Their
Luckily, unlike ‘there’, ‘their’ only has one meaning. ‘Their’ is a possessive pronoun used to indicate ownership of someone else. It is used in the third person to talk about someone who isn’t in the conversation.
For example:
Their cat is very cute.
Getting a cat was their idea.
Actually, their cat is quite mean!
3. They’re
Finally, we’ve got to the third and final homophone in this conundrum. And this one is a little different to the other two; ‘They’re’ is actually a contraction. This means it is one word made of two words that have been smushed together for speed and ease. So, ‘they’re’ just means ‘they are’.
For example:
They’re very good at dancing. (They are very good at dancing.)
It’s amazing how well they’re doing. (It’s amazing how well they are doing.)
They’re sure to win the trophy. (They are sure to win the trophy.)
Now we’ve gone through the difference between ‘there’, ‘their’ and ‘they’re’ as well as homophones and their meanings in general, we can practice using them in our daily social media microcopy!
Plus, you can put them all together to have a full sentence of something that looks like this: “They’re going away to Switzerland to visit their family and also do some sightseeing while they’re there!”.
Here at Jade Victoria Copywriting, the aim isn’t just to do all the writing for you: it’s all about getting you more acquainted with the English languages and the foibles that come with it.
If you found this article interesting, don’t forget to have a look through our library for the rest of our ‘What’s the Difference?’ series. Alternatively, if you do want the writing done for your social media microcopy and your own website’s blogs, have a look at the blog writing services right here at Jade Victoria Copywriting, it’s professionalism in every word.
