Which to use
“them” is a pronoun and “there” is an adverb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #71
- “them” frequency rank
- #57
- “there” frequency rank
- 128
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | them | there |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Those ones. | In or at a place or location (stated, implied or otherwise indicated) that is perceived to be away from, or at a relative distance from, the speaker (compare here). |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set them and there apart are highlighted. They share 3 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: them is /ˈðɛm/ while there is /ðə(ɹ)/. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (pronoun vs adverb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 128, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
them is recorded at frequency rank #71, classified as apron, pronounced /ˈðɛm/. there is at rank #57, tagged as anadv, pronounced /ðə(ɹ)/.
Glosses for this pair are partially populated in our dataset, but the full side-by-side definitions above should still guide you to the right choice.
With a confusion score of 128, this pair ranks #529,841 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of them vs there
Shared letters: eht. Private to "them": m. Private to "there": r.
"them" · 4 letters · shape CCVC · "there" · 5 letters · shape CCVCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "them" and "there" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "them" or "there"?
Remembering them vs there
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a pronoun, it's “them”; for an adverb, it's “there”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “them” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable