Spellcheck won’t save you from these. Each pair below contains two real words, so your computer is happy either way. Here is what each one means, with a quick trick to keep them apart.
1. Its and it’s
- It’s is short for “it is” or “it has”: It’s raining. It’s been a long day.
- Its shows that something belongs to “it”: The dog wagged its tail.
The trick: if you can replace the word with “it is” or “it has”, you need the apostrophe. “The dog wagged it is tail” doesn’t work, so it’s “its”.
This one catches people out because apostrophes usually show belonging, as in “Sam’s bag”. But “its” works like “his”, “hers” and “ours”, none of which have apostrophes.
2. Their, there and they’re
- Their means belonging to them: Their car is blue.
- There points to a place, or introduces a sentence: Put it over there. There is a problem.
- They’re is short for “they are”: They’re coming at six.
The trick: “there” contains the word “here”, and both are about place. “Their” contains “heir”, someone who inherits, which is about owning things. And “they’re” has an apostrophe because a letter is missing from “they are”.
3. Your and you’re
- Your means belonging to you: Is this your phone?
- You’re is short for “you are”: You’re late.
The trick: say “you are” in its place. “You are phone” makes no sense, so it’s “your”. “You are late” works, so it’s “you’re”.
4. Then and than
- Then is about time or order: We ate, then we went home. Back then, things were different.
- Than is for comparisons: She is taller than me. I’d rather walk than drive.
The trick: “then” and “when” rhyme, and both are about time. “Than” and “compare” both have an “a”.
5. Lose and loose
- Lose (one “o”) is a verb. It means to misplace something or not to win: Don’t lose your keys. We might lose the match.
- Loose (two “o”s) means not tight or not fixed: These jeans are loose. A screw is loose.
The trick: “loose” has an extra “o”, as if it has extra room inside, just like loose clothes. “Lose” has lost one of its “o”s.
They also sound different. “Lose” rhymes with “choose”. “Loose” rhymes with “goose”.
Bonus: compliment and complement
- A compliment is something nice you say about someone: She paid me a compliment.
- A complement is something that completes or goes well with something else: The sauce is a perfect complement to the fish.
The trick: a compliment is something I like to receive. A complement helps to complete something.
Why spellcheck misses them
Spellcheckers compare each word with a dictionary. Because every word in these pairs is spelled correctly on its own, nothing gets flagged. Some grammar checkers look at the words around them and can catch the more obvious mix-ups, such as “your welcome”, but they still miss plenty. That is why it pays to know the difference yourself, and to slow down for these pairs when you proofread. Reading your text out loud, or slowly line by line, gives you a much better chance of spotting them.
Quick practice
- ___ going to be late if we don’t leave now. (Their / There / They’re)
- The company changed ___ logo. (its / it’s)
- This box is heavier ___ it looks. (then / than)
- Hold on tight so you don’t ___ your hat. (lose / loose)
Answers: 1. They’re 2. its 3. than 4. lose
The takeaway
When two words sound alike, test them by expanding them (“it is”, “they are”, “you are”) or by linking them to something you already know. A few seconds of checking saves an embarrassing mistake.