# 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.

**URL:** https://humanit.app/writing/your-vs-youre  ·  **Updated:** May 2026  ·  Humanit

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.

## How it works

1. **Spot 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.
2. **Apply 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”.
3. **Check your sentence** — Paste your text into the grammar checker below — it flags the issue and shows the correction.
4. **Re-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.

**Before → after**

| ❌ 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 |

## FAQ

**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 — your first run needs no account, and a free account adds 5 more, each up to 1,500 words. They are a one-time grant, not a daily allowance. Upgrade for a word pool that removes the per-run cap, or use the free iOS app.

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_Last updated: June 2026._