Which to use
“there” is an adverb and “they're” is a contraction - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #57
- “there” frequency rank
- #321
- “they're” frequency rank
- 378
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | there | they're |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | 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). | Contraction of they + are. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set there and they're apart are highlighted. They share 5 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: there is /ðə(ɹ)/ while they're is /ðɛə/. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 2 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (adverb vs contraction), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 378, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
there is recorded at frequency rank #57, classified as anadv, pronounced /ðə(ɹ)/. they're is at rank #321, tagged as acontraction, pronounced /ðɛə/.
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 378, this pair ranks #529,513 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of there vs they're
Shared letters: ehrt. Private to "there": -. Private to "they're": y.
"there" · 5 letters · shape CCVCV · "they're" · 6 letters · shape CCVVCV
Known mistypes of this pair
- there ← htere · tehre · theer · therre · thhere · tthere
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "there" and "they're" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "there" or "they're"?
Remembering there vs they're
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need an adverb, it's “there”; for a contraction, it's “they're”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “there” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable