Learn · 2 min read
🔀 Commonly Confused Words: Their, There, They're and More
Some of the most common writing mistakes aren't spelling mistakes at all: they're the right spelling of the wrong word. Spell-checkers can't catch them, because every word is real. The good news is that each pair has a quick test you can do in your head.
Their, there, they're
- their — belongs to them: "They packed their bags."
- there — a place, or "there is / there are": "Put it over there."
- they're — short for they are: "They're late again."
Tip: Test: if you can say "they are" instead, write they're. There has "here" inside it — both are places.
Your and you're
- your — belongs to you: "Is this your coat?"
- you're — you are: "You're right."
Tip: Test: replace it with "you are". If the sentence still works, use you're.
Its and it's
- its — belongs to it: "The dog wagged its tail."
- it's — it is or it has: "It's raining." "It's been a long day."
Tip: This one feels backwards, because we usually use an apostrophe for belonging. But his, hers and its never take one. If you can say "it is", use it's.
To, too, two
- to — direction or part of a verb: "Go to school." "I want to swim."
- too — also, or more than enough: "Me too." "It's too hot."
- two — the number 2.
Tip: Too has an extra o — it has too many.
Then and than
- then — time: "We ate, then we left."
- than — comparing: "She's taller than me."
Tip: Than and compare both have an a.
Affect and effect
- affect — usually a verb, to change something: "The rain affected the game."
- effect — usually a noun, the result: "The rain had an effect on the game."
Tip: Remember RAVEN: Remember, Affect is a Verb, Effect is a Noun.
More pairs to watch
- accept (to receive) / except (leaving out): "Everyone except Sam accepted."
- lose (to misplace, or not win) / loose (not tight): "Don't lose that loose button."
- who's (who is) / whose (belonging to whom): "Who's there? Whose bag is this?"
- weather (rain, sun) / whether (if): "Whether or not the weather is good…"
- quiet (not loud) / quite (fairly, completely): "It's quite quiet in here."
- breath (noun) / breathe (verb): "Take a deep breath and breathe out slowly."
- dessert (pudding) / desert (sand): dessert has two s's because you always want seconds.
- stationery (paper, pens) / stationary (not moving): e for envelopes.
- principal (the head of a school; main) / principle (a rule or belief): the principal is your pal.
- complement (completes something) / compliment (says something nice).
How to make them stick
Pick the two or three pairs you mix up most and focus on those. Say the test sentence out loud a few times, then practise with fill-in-the-blank sentences — that's exactly what our Grammar game does, choosing the word that fits a real sentence. After a week or two the right word starts to feel natural, and you'll catch the wrong one when you reread your writing.