Theirs Or Their’s – How To Spell It Correctly

The spelling of some English words even confuses the most experienced writers, especially when it comes to certain words. It is not uncommon to find an apostrophe in words where there should not be one. One of the most frequently observed spelling mistakes pertains to the word “theirs”, which is frequently spelt incorrectly as “their’s”. To help you spell this word correctly, we have created a guide with sample sentences to give you a more profound understanding of its usage.

The correct spelling of “theirs”

The word “theirs” functions as a third-person plural possessive pronoun and is used in place of a noun to indicate ownership or possession of something by someone. It is used to refer to something owned by or associated with them. Occasionally, the word “theirs” is written with an apostrophe, which is incorrect and should be avoided, especially in academic writing.

The only correct spelling of this term is “theirs”. The most common spelling mistake is the apostrophe in “their’s”, which is incorrect. In English, possessive pronouns like “his”, “its”, “ours”, or “yours” do not take apostrophes, unlike possessive nouns which do require an apostrophe (e.g., “the man’s car”). The misconception that “theirs” requires an apostrophe stems from the general rule in English where “s” denotes possession for most other words, leading some English speakers to incorrectly spell it as “their’s”. However, “theirs” is the sole correct spelling. The following examples will help you with the understanding:

Note: “Theirs” is never used to modify a noun. It is always used instead of a noun to indicate possession or ownership.