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Your vs. you're

Your vs. You’re (Which Word is Correct?)

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Dalia Y

BA, MA, Phil. Grammarflex's initial initiator and contributor.

Your vs. You’re

Your and you’re (with an apostrophe) sound the same, but they are not the same. Important differences between them to note are:

👍🏼Usage Note
✓ Correct example with your.

✓
Correct example with you’re.
✗
Incorrect example with your.

  • Your is a possessive pronoun in the second person that indicates ownership, belonging or association; e.g., “is this coat yours?” Use ‘your’ to show “belonging to the person or people being spoken or written to”.

  • You’re is a contracted form of two words, you + are. As in the sentence, ‘you’re going to be late if you don’t leave now’. The apostrophe ‘re shows where certain letters are omitted to form the shortened word.

“Your” / “you’re”, used in sentences

Examples: “your”, possessive pronoun
I like your dress.

Excuse me, is this your seat?

The bank is on your right.

Dentists advise you to have your teeth checked every six months.
Examples: “you’re”, contraction of you + are
You’re really smart.

I know you’re going to love this movie.

You’re going to tire yourself out.

Do you think you’re going to the Christmas party?

Examples of other possessive pronouns

  • whose
  • yours
  • hers
  • his
  • theirs
  • mine

Other commonly confused contractions

You’re and your aren’t the only pair of possessive pronouns that get confused with contractions:

  • it’s and its
  • who’s and whose
  • they’re, their and there

Word origin (of your)

Old English eower, possessive pronominal adjective, genitive of ge “ye” (see ye), from Proto-Germanic base of you. Cognate with Old Saxon iuwar, Old Frisian iuwer, Old Norse yðvarr, Old High German iuwer, German euer, Gothic izwar “your”.

Read about other misused words

Commonly misused words UK English vs. US English
former vs. latter burned or burnt?
bear with vs. bare with color or colour?
breathe or breath favorite vs. favourite
compliment vs. complement smelled or smelt?
effect vs. affect gray or grey?
elude or allude favor vs. favour
it’s or its analyze or analyse?

Sources

  1. Oxford Learner’s Dictionary on “your” and “you’re”. Accessed 18 March, 2024.

Work Sheet

Question 1 of 10

According to the blog post, what does the word "your" indicate?



The blog post states that "you’re" is a contracted form of which two words?



Based on the post, which sentence correctly uses "your"?



Based on the post, which sentence correctly uses "you’re"?



The blog post highlights "Your welcome" as an example of a common incorrect usage. What is the correct word that should be used instead of "Your" in that phrase?



Please make sure ____ keys are on the table.



I think ____ going to be late if you don’t leave now.



Is this ____ umbrella?



____ doing a great job!



The dog is wagging ____ tail happily.





Frequently Asked Questions

What’s the difference between your and you’re?
+

Your is a possessive pronoun showing ownership or belonging. You’re is a contraction for “you are.” They sound the same but have different meanings and uses in sentences.

When should I use the word “your”?
+

Use “your” as a possessive pronoun to show belonging or ownership to the person spoken to. Examples from the post are “I like your dress” and “is this your seat?”.

When do you use “you’re”?
+

Use “you’re” when you mean “you are.” It’s a contraction where the apostrophe shows omitted letters. The post gives examples like “You’re really smart” and “You’re going to be late.”

Is “Your welcome” correct?
+

No, the post explicitly states “Your welcome” is an incorrect example. It should be “You’re welcome” because you mean “You are welcome,” requiring the contraction “you’re.”

Why do people confuse your and you’re?
+

People often confuse “your” and “you’re” because they sound the same, as noted in the post. The key difference is “you’re” uses an apostrophe to show it’s the contraction “you are.”

Yash, D. "Your vs. You’re (Which Word is Correct?)." Grammarflex, Jun 21, 2025, https://www.grammarflex.com/your-vs-youre-which-word-is-correct/.

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