Their is a possessive pronoun used to describe something belonging to or associated with people or things previously mentioned, or a gender-neutral possessive for both singular and plural subjects. It also functions as a homophone in many dialects of the word 'they’re' (they are) and 'there' (a place or position) in casual speech, which can cause confusion. In standard usage, it modifies nouns (e.g., their house) or serves as a determiner for plural subjects.
"They brought their own snacks to the meeting."
"The team displayed their jerseys with pride."
"Everyone should bring their passport and tickets."
"I like their new book—it’s a great read."
Their derives from Old Norse and Proto-Germanic roots. The possessive determiner corresponds to the third-person plural possessive pronoun historically linked to Old English ðaera and ðara, which in turn trace to PIE root *so-, *swo- that expresses belonging or association. The form evolved through Middle English as thære, thieren, allied with the inflected possessive adjectives in early Germanic languages. By Early Modern English, their function as a possessive determiner had stabilized, with its pronunciation converging toward the modern /ðɛər/ in many dialects. The word’s historical journey reflects broader shifts in pronoun morphology and determiner usage in English, including the frequent pronunciation changes in the vowel cluster and the softening of th- into the modern alveolar fricative. First known written attestations appear in late medieval texts, with standardized spelling emerging in the early modern period as printing and codified grammar developed. The word’s role as a possessive determiner remains one of English’s most persistent and flexible forms, often overlapping with the contracted forms of related phrases in spoken language.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Their" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "Their"
-ear sounds
-are sounds
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Pronounced as /ðɛr/ (US) or /ðeə(r)/ (UK) with the ‘th’ digraph voiced, the vowel-phoneme sequence like “air” in most accents. The key is a light dental fricative /ð/ followed by a breathy, lax mid-front vowel /ɛ/ or /eə/ depending on accent, and a rhotacized ending in rhotic varieties. Stress is on the word itself as a single-syllable determiner. Mouth posture: place the tongue tip behind or between the upper teeth for /ð/, vocalize the current vowel without lip rounding, and finish with a short, unobtrusive /r/ in rhotic dialects. You’ll hear a slight prolongation before the final consonant in careful speech.
Common mistakes include pronouncing as /θɛər/ (th as in 'think'), misplacing the tongue on /ð/ and using a stressed /ɪ/ like 'their' as in 'there' or 'they’re'. Another error is overly elongating the vowel to /eɪ/ or dropping the rhotic ending in American non-rhotic dialects. Corrective tips: keep the tongue tip lightly between the upper teeth for /ð/, produce a short, lax /ɛ/ or /eə/ depending on your accent, and end with a soft, almost non-syllabic /r/ in rhotik varieties or a silent final consonant in non-rhotic varieties.
In US English, /ðɛr/ with rhotic /r/ at the end; in UK English, /ðeə/ with a non-rhotic final consonant, often a centering diphthong like /eə/ and a stronger vowel length before /ə/; in many Australian speakers, /ðeə/ with a slightly less pronounced rhotic influence and a more centralized vowel quality. The main differences lie in vowel height, length, and rhoticity: rhotic US maintains the /r/; UK tends toward a non-rhotic vowel (often /eə/) while dropping a voiced /r/ unless followed by a vowel; Australia varies around /ðeə/ with subtle vowel shifts depending on region.
Because it sits at the intersection of th- fricatives and a diphthong-like vowel that shifts with accent, and it’s easily confused with their/there/they’re. The /ð/ sound requires precise tongue placement behind the upper teeth; the Vowel cluster /ɛr/ or /eə/ is highly variable, often reduced in connected speech; and the final rhoticity or non-rhoticity affects whether an /r/ is pronounced. Mastery hinges on balancing dental placement, vowel glide, and, in rhotic dialects, a subtle post-vocalic /ɹ/ without over-emphasing it.
Does the pronunciation of 'Their' ever involve a silent or nearly silent /r/ in certain dialects, and how does this affect intelligibility when following vowels in connected speech? In non-rhotic accents, the /r/ is often silent unless followed by a vowel, which creates a smooth /ðeə/ or /ðɛə/ sound; when connecting to a following vowel, some speakers insert a linking rhotic or a vowel-resonant /ə/ to preserve flow. This affects intelligibility mainly if the listener expects a fully rhotic ending.
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