How do I teach their, there, and they're?

One meaning at a time. Their owns things (their boots). There points to a place (over there; notice "here" inside it). They're is "they are" squished together; if you can say "they are" in the sentence, it's they're. Then mix all three on a worksheet to test the sorting.

Why can't spellcheck fix these mistakes?

Because every option is a correctly spelled word. "The twins left there boots" passes a spellchecker; it just means the wrong thing. That's exactly why these words need deliberate practice rather than editing tools.

3rd grade commonly confused words

3rd grade commonly confused words worksheets

Commonly confused words sound the same but do different jobs: their (belonging), there (a place), they're (they are); your and you're; its and it's. Third graders learn to slow down and pick the word that matches the meaning.

Free printable PDF worksheet, aligned to Common Core L.4.1.g.

Each print is a different sheet with its own answer key. You don't need to sign up.

The kind of sentences you'll get

Circle the letter of the word that belongs in the sentence.

Rosa carried bags of apples inside. two · to · too
Answer: two
the fastest swimmer on the whole team! Your · You’re
Diego wanted to play goalie . two · too · to

Every print pulls a new set of sentences at this level, so a make-up test or a second sibling gets a different mix.

What's on a 3rd grade sheet

3rd grade sheets draw from 60 sentences, 10 to a page. All 60 are on 4th grade sheets too, along with 35 more.

Some of the answers:

theiritsWherehearthereIt’sthanrightNoWe’re

Choose the word. Circle the letter of the word that belongs in the sentence. 10 questions per page.
Fix it. Write the word in parentheses that belongs in the sentence. 8 sentences to fix per page.

Every version prints on US Letter or A4, with its answer key on the last page.

How to teach this

Teach the expansion test first: if the word has an apostrophe, say the two words out loud in the sentence. "They're boots by the door" becomes "they are boots," which sounds wrong, so it isn't they're. For their/there, anchor each to a cue: their has "heir" (ownership), there has "here" (place). One set per session; mixing too early muddies all of them.

Watch for: Spellcheck won't catch these: 'there boots' is spelled correctly, it's just the wrong word. The apostrophe versions are always two words squeezed together: they're = they are, you're = you are, it's = it is or it has. Expanding them is the test.

Common questions about 3rd grade commonly confused words

How do I teach their, there, and they're?: One meaning at a time. Their owns things (their boots). There points to a place (over there; notice "here" inside it). They're is "they are" squished together; if you can say "they are" in the sentence, it's they're. Then mix all three on a worksheet to test the sorting.
Why can't spellcheck fix these mistakes?: Because every option is a correctly spelled word. "The twins left there boots" passes a spellchecker; it just means the wrong thing. That's exactly why these words need deliberate practice rather than editing tools.

Related worksheets

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Aligned to Common Core L.4.1.g. Reviewed by the One more sheet team. Content version 241, updated October 2026.

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