Sound Gym
there · their · they’re
All three are pronounced exactly the same: /ðɛr/. The difference is only in spelling and meaning — place, possession, or contraction.
Exact homophones — all three
there, their, and they’re are all pronounced identically: /ðɛr/. There is no difference in speech — only in writing.
there
/ðɛr/
place — “over there”
their
/ðɛr/
possession — “their house”
they’re
/ðɛr/
they are — “they’re here”
adverb / pronoun — refers to a place (not here); OR used to introduce a sentence — 'over there' · 'there is a problem' · 'get out of there' · 'there and back'
mouth shape
same /ðɛr/ as their and they're — starts with voiced /ð/ (tongue between teeth, add voice) — then /ɛr/ — all three words are pronounced identically
there
/ðɛr/
vowel length
possessive determiner — belonging to them — 'their house' · 'their children' · 'their own decision' · 'it was their fault' — possessive, not a place or contraction
mouth shape
identical pronunciation to there and they're — /ðɛr/ — the spelling ei is unusual but does NOT change the sound — context tells you the meaning
their
/ðɛr/
vowel length
contraction — shortened form of 'they are' — 'they're coming' · 'they're not ready' · 'they're both correct' — if you can replace it with 'they are', use they're
mouth shape
identical pronunciation to there and their — /ðɛr/ — the apostrophe contracts 'they are' — say it fast: 'they are' → 'they're' — same sound as the other two
they're
/ðɛr/
vowel length
How to choose the right spelling — quick guide
Place or sentence starter
It’s over there. · There is a problem. · There are five rooms.
Tip: there contains the word “here” — both relate to location.
Possession — belonging to them
Their car. · Their decision. · It was their idea.
Tip: their contains “heir” — both relate to ownership.
Contraction of “they are”
They’re coming. · They’re not ready. · They’re both correct.
Test: can you replace it with “they are”? If yes → they’re.
The one pronunciation — /ðɛr/
All three start with /ð/ — the voiced dental fricative (tongue between teeth + voice). Then /ɛ/ — short e — then /r/. You cannot tell which word someone is saying by ear alone — only the sentence meaning tells you.
Example sentences
there:“Put the bags down over thereby the door.”
there:“Thereare three messages waiting for you.”
their:“The neighbours have painted theirfront door red.”
they’re:“They’removing to Edinburgh next month.”
Hear it in a sentence
“She left her keys over there, on the hall table by the door.”
“The students submitted their final essays a day before the deadline.”
“They're already halfway through the film — we might as well wait.”
Hear it in the wild
Real speech from native speakers — the most reliable way to check a pronunciation, since automated audio can vary by device and browser.
there
Hear native speakers say “there” in real sentences — news, lectures, and podcasts.
Opens YouTube-sourced clips in a new tab.
their
Hear native speakers say “their” in real sentences — news, lectures, and podcasts.
Opens YouTube-sourced clips in a new tab.
they're
Hear native speakers say “they're” in real sentences — news, lectures, and podcasts.
Opens YouTube-sourced clips in a new tab.
How teachers explain this
Approved tips from the community, sorted by helpfulness
Word families
there family ▸
other /ðɛr/ homophones in English ▸
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