Thier or Their: Which Spelling Is Correct?

If you are wondering if to write “thier” or “their,” the correct spelling is “their.” The word thier is a common spelling mistake, while their is a possessive word used to show that something belongs to a person or a group of people. For example, “The students brought their books to class” is correct because the books belong to the students.

Spelling mistakes like this often happen because the letters i and e appear in the wrong order. Even confident English speakers sometimes type “thier” by mistake, especially when writing quickly.

Learning the correct spelling, understanding its meaning, and practicing a few examples can help you avoid this error in school assignments, emails, essays, and everyday messages. It is also useful to understand the difference between their, there, and they’re, as these three words sound alike but have different meanings and uses.

Quick Answer

Their is the correct spelling, while thier is a misspelling. Use their to show ownership or belonging, as in “They forgot their keys.” Remember that the letters e and i appear in the order e-i in their, not i-e as in thier.

Why Do People Confuse Thier and Their?

People often confuse thier and their because the words contain the same letters but arrange them differently. When typing quickly, it is easy to put the i before the e instead of after it.

Another reason is that English spelling does not always follow predictable patterns. Writers may remember the sound of a word correctly but accidentally reverse two letters when typing or writing by hand.

The key point is simple: “Thier” is not the standard English spelling. “Their” is the correct form.

First Word: Thier

Thier is an incorrect spelling of their. It is not accepted as the standard spelling of this possessive word in modern English.

You may see thier in text messages, social media posts, schoolwork, or online comments. In most cases, it is simply a typing error rather than a separate word with its own meaning.

Examples of incorrect usage:

• Incorrect: They love thier new house.
• Incorrect: The children packed thier bags.
• Incorrect: Everyone should bring thier notebook.

In all these sentences, replace thier with their.

Second Word: Their

Their is the correct English word used to indicate possession or association with people or, in some contexts, things.

It is a possessive determiner, meaning it appears before a noun to show whose item, place, idea, or responsibility is being discussed.

Examples:

• The children cleaned their room.
• My friends invited me to their party.
• The students submitted their assignments.
• Each person should bring their own lunch.

In the last example, their refers to the singular, gender-neutral word person. Singular they and its related forms, including their, are widely used in contemporary English.

Thier vs. Their: Comparison Table

Feature	Thier	Their
Correct spelling	No	Yes
Meaning	No standard meaning intended here	Belonging to or associated with them
Part of speech	Misspelling	Possessive determiner
Standard usage	Incorrect	Correct
Example	Thier car is red.	Their car is red.
Best action	Correct the spelling	Use in your writing

When Should You Use Each Word?

When to Use Thier

In ordinary English writing, you should not use thier when you mean possession. Correct it to their in essays, emails, professional documents, captions, and everyday communication.

If you encounter thier in a quotation or an original text, you may preserve it when exact reproduction is necessary, such as when documenting a spelling error. Otherwise, use the correct spelling.

When to Use Their

Use their when showing that something belongs to or is associated with one or more people.

Examples:

• Ownership: They sold their car.
• Relationships: I met their parents.
• Responsibilities: Employees must complete their tasks.
• Personal belongings: The guests left their coats here.
• Singular, gender-neutral reference: Someone left their phone on the table.

Remember that their usually comes before a noun, such as house, ideas, family, or decision.

12 Examples of Thier vs. Their in Sentences

The following examples show how to correct the common spelling error.

Incorrect sentence	Correct sentence
They forgot thier homework.	They forgot their homework.
The students opened thier books.	The students opened their books.
We visited thier house.	We visited their house.
The team celebrated thier victory.	The team celebrated their victory.
The children fed thier dog.	The children fed their dog.
They shared thier ideas.	They shared their ideas.
The workers finished thier jobs.	The workers finished their jobs.
My neighbors painted thier fence.	My neighbors painted their fence.
The players wore thier uniforms.	The players wore their uniforms.
Everyone should check thier work.	Everyone should check their work.
The birds returned to thier nest.	The birds returned to their nest.
The customers collected thier orders.	The customers collected their orders.

More Examples Using Their Correctly

• The family invited us to their home.
• The teachers explained their expectations.
• The company announced their decision.
• Each student wrote their name on the paper.

These examples demonstrate that their can refer to a group, an organization, or an individual when a gender-neutral singular reference is appropriate.

Common Mistakes With Thier and Their

One of the most common mistakes is reversing the letters e and i. However, spelling is not the only issue that can confuse English learners. The word their is also frequently mixed up with there and they’re.

Here are the mistakes to watch for:

• Writing “thier” instead of “their”: Incorrect spelling. Write “They brought their lunch.”
• Using “their” instead of “there”: “Their” shows possession, while “there” refers to a place or introduces something. Write “The bag is over there.”
• Using “their” instead of “they’re”: “They’re” means “they are.” Write “They’re ready to leave.”
• Assuming their always refers to multiple people: It can also refer to one person when using singular they, as in “Alex brought their notebook.”

Always check both the spelling and the meaning before choosing a word.

Memory Trick: How to Remember Their

A simple way to remember the correct spelling is to focus on the letter order.

Their = T + H + E + I + R

Remember the phrase: “The E comes before the I in their.”

You can also connect their with ownership. For example, if you say, “They have their books,” the word their tells you who the books belong to.

Try this quick practice:

• They love ___ new puppy.
• The students finished ___ project.
• We visited ___ garden.

The correct answer to all three is their.

American vs. British English: Is There a Difference?

There is no spelling difference between American and British English for this word. Their is the standard spelling in both varieties.

Variety of English	Correct spelling	Example
American English	Their	They parked their car.
British English	Their	They parked their car.
Australian English	Their	They parked their car.
Canadian English	Their	They parked their car.

Unlike words such as color/colour or organize/organise, their does not have different standard spellings across these varieties.

The incorrect spelling thier should be corrected regardless of which variety of English you use.

Similar Words: Their, There, and They’re

The words their, there, and they’re are often confused because they are pronounced alike in many English accents. Learning their meanings makes it easier to choose the right word.

Their — possession

Shows that something belongs to or is associated with someone.

Example: They left their bags at school.

There — place or existence

Refers to a location or helps introduce the existence of something.

Example: Your bags are over there.

They’re — they are

A contraction formed from they and are.

Example: They’re waiting outside.

A useful test is to replace they’re with “they are.” If the sentence still makes sense, they’re may be correct. For their, look for ownership. For there, look for a place or an expression of existence.

Final Verdict: Thier or Their?

Their is correct; thier is incorrect. Use their when showing possession or association, such as in “They finished their work.”

The difference is the order of two letters: their uses e-i, while thier uses i-e. This spelling rule is the same in American, British, Australian, and Canadian English.

If you remember just one thing, remember this: whenever you mean something belongs to them, write their.

FAQs:

1. Is it thier or their?

Their is correct. Thier is a common spelling mistake. Use their to show possession, as in “They brought their books.”

2. What does their mean?

Their is a possessive determiner that shows ownership or association. For example, “Their house is beautiful” means the house belongs to or is associated with them.

3. Why do people spell their as thier?

People often reverse the letters e and i when writing quickly. Because the words look similar, this typing error is easy to make. Remember that the correct order is e-i.

4. Is thier ever correct in English?

No, not when you intend to use the standard possessive word their. You might encounter thier when someone makes a spelling mistake or when an original text is reproduced exactly, but it is not the correct spelling for ordinary writing.

5. What is the difference between their and there?

Their indicates possession, while there refers to a place or indicates that something exists.

Examples:

• Their house is large.
• Their children are playing there.

6. Is their singular or plural?

Their can refer to multiple people or to one person when using singular, gender-neutral they. For example, “The students brought their books” is plural, while “Someone forgot their umbrella” uses a singular reference.

7. How can I remember the spelling of their?

Remember the letter sequence T-H-E-I-R. The e comes before the i. Practice writing sentences such as “They love their family” to reinforce the correct spelling.

Remember This

• Their is the correct spelling.
• Thier is a misspelling.
• Use their to express possession or association.
• Remember the letter order: e-i, not i-e.
• Do not confuse their with there or they’re.
• The spelling their is the same in American and British English.

Conclusion

Choosing between thier and their is easy once you know the correct spelling. Their is the standard English word used to show that something belongs to or is associated with people. Thier is simply a common spelling error, usually caused by reversing the letters e and i.

To improve your writing, practice using their in everyday sentences and proofread your work before submitting it. Also, learn the differences between their, there, and they’re so you can use each word correctly. With a little practice, you will remember the correct spelling and communicate more confidently in English.