Your vs You’re: Examples & How to Fix It
Your shows possession (“your book”). You’re is a contraction of “you are” (“you’re late”). The one-second test: if you can expand the word to “you are”, write you’re; if you can’t, write your. Paste your own sentence into the free checker below to fix it in one click.
Your shows possession (“your book”). You’re is a contraction of “you are” (“you’re late”). The one-second test: if you can expand the word to “you are”, write you’re; if you can’t, write your.
How it works
- 1Spot the pattern. Try replacing the word with “you are”. If the sentence still makes sense, the correct spelling is you’re. If it doesn’t, you need your.
- 2Apply the rule. Expand it in your head: “you are” → you’re, otherwise your. “Your welcome” fails the test (“you are welcome” is the meaning), so it should be “you’re welcome”.
- 3Check your sentence. Paste your text into the grammar checker below — it flags the issue and shows the correction.
- 4Re-read it. Read the corrected version aloud to confirm it says exactly what you meant.
The rule
Your is a possessive determiner — it marks something as belonging to you. You’re is short for “you are”, where the apostrophe stands in for the missing letter.
How to spot it
Try replacing the word with “you are”. If the sentence still makes sense, the correct spelling is you’re. If it doesn’t, you need your.
How to fix it
Expand it in your head: “you are” → you’re, otherwise your. “Your welcome” fails the test (“you are welcome” is the meaning), so it should be “you’re welcome”.
The most common mistake
Writing “your welcome” when you mean “you’re welcome”, and “you’re car” when you mean “your car” — the two flip the rule. If you’re not sure whether your sentence has the problem, paste it into the checker above — it catches this and explains the fix in plain language.
| ❌ Incorrect | ✓ Corrected | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Your welcome to join us. | You’re welcome to join us. | = you are welcome |
| Is this you’re phone? | Is this your phone? | Possession = your |
| You’re essay was excellent. | Your essay was excellent. | Possession = your |
Frequently asked questions
Your vs you’re — which is correct?
You’re = you are (a contraction). Your = belonging to you (possessive). “You’re going to love your gift.”
Is it “your welcome” or “you’re welcome”?
It’s “you’re welcome” — short for “you are welcome.” “Your welcome” is a common mistake.
How do I check my own writing for this?
Paste your text into the free grammar checker on this page. It flags the issue, suggests a correction, and explains why — so you learn the rule, not just the fix.
Is it free?
Yes — 3 free runs every day with up to 500 words per run, no credit card to start. Upgrade for a larger word pool, or use the free iOS app.