Some English words sound the same, or almost the same, but they're spelled differently and mean different things. Spell-check won't catch them, because each one is a real word. A quick meaning test fixes almost every mistake.
The pattern
They're parking their car over there.
It's clear the store changed its hours.
01Their, there, they're
All three sound exactly the same. Their shows that something belongs to them. There is a place (over there), and it also starts sentences like there is and there are. They're is the short form of they are.
The test: if you can say "they are" in its place, write they're.
- Their apartment is on the third floor.
- There's a pharmacy on the corner.
- They're moving to Houston in June.
02The apostrophe test
An apostrophe shows that letters are missing. So you're = you are, it's = it is or it has, who's = who is or who has, and we're = we are. The words that show who owns something, your, its, whose, never have an apostrophe.
Were is the past of are, and where asks about a place.
- You're late, and your phone is off.
- It's been a long day.
- Whose jacket is this?
- Where were you last night?
| Short form (two words) | The other word |
|---|---|
| you're = you are | your = belongs to you |
| it's = it is / it has | its = belongs to it |
| who's = who is / who has | whose = belongs to which person? |
| we're = we are | were = past of are; where = place |
03To, too, two and then, than
To shows direction or comes before a verb: go to work, want to eat. Too means also, or more than you want: me too, too hot. Two is the number 2.
Then is about time: first this, then that. Than compares two things: bigger than, rather than.
- I have two tickets to the game.
- It's too loud in here.
- We ate, and then we went for a walk.
- Dallas is hotter than Seattle.
04Lose, loose and accept, except
Lose is a verb: stop having something, or not win. Loose is an adjective: not tight. Accept is a verb: say yes to something you're offered. Except means but not, or apart from.
- Don't lose your boarding pass.
- This shirt is a little loose.
- I accepted the job offer.
- The office is open every day except Sunday.
05Common mistakes
Their going to be late.
They're going to be late.
You mean they are, so use the short form they're.
The dog hurt it's paw.
The dog hurt its paw.
Its shows ownership and has no apostrophe. It's always means it is or it has.
She's taller then me.
She's taller than me.
Use than to compare. Then is about time.
I don't want to loose my keys.
I don't want to lose my keys.
Lose is the verb. Loose means not tight.