Are vs. Our – What’s the Gist?
While it may seem that these two words are homophones, meaning that they sound the same but have different meanings and spellings, that is actually incorrect.
- Are is a to be
- Our is a possessive case personal pronoun.
The confusion between the two lies in sloppy American diction. More on this later.
How to Use Are in a Sentence
Are definition: As mentioned, the word are is one of the to be verbs (also called state of being verbs), which include the following conjugations: am, is, are, was, were, be, being, and been.
Are is used for the present tense second-person singular (you are) and for the first- and third-person present tense plural (we are; they are).
For example:
- You are late. (Present Tense Verb)
- We are early. (Present Tense Verb)
- They are on time. (Present Tense Verb)
It is pronounced \är\ and rhymes with car.
How to Use Our in a Sentence
Our definition: Our, on the other hand, is a personal pronoun, specifically a first-person plural possessive personal pronoun.
Although our is a pronoun, it shows possession—making the word an adjective that modifies a noun or pronoun and answers the question whose.
For example:
- Our house is made of bricks and siding. (Possessive Case Pronoun)
- We went to the dog shelter and picked out our new dog together. (Possessive Case Pronoun)
- Since everyone shared it, the family called it “our car.” (Possessive Case Pronoun)
It is pronounced \aů(-ə)r\ as in hour.
Outside Examples of Are vs. Our
- Reporting for this series required tremendous resources, combining the efforts of three news organizations as well as the creation of specialized data tracking tools. Public Integrity and The Arizona Republic built two trackers that use algorithms to detect similarities in language for these copy-and-paste bills. The efforts found more than 10,000 introduced from 2010 to 2018 — but the real numbers are probably higher. –The Center for Public Integrity
- There is increasing pressure to resume social and economic activity soon to limit the economic damage from the coronavirus. Suggestions to reopen are emerging that are not informed by thoughtful analysis or public-health expertise. It’s critical that decisions about how, when and what to reopen are based on the best data available, with transparency about how choices are made. –The Washington Post
- That’s not how our politicians act when they’ve just heard a dire projection of national doom. When they emerge from one of those briefings, they’re ashen-faced and they vote as fast as they can on whatever anybody puts in front of them. –Orange County Register
- “Obviously, right now we’re in the middle of this pandemic situation and managing our way through that,” Mr. Foye said. The authority is seeking a $4 billion federal bailout to replace lost revenue from riders, and on Tuesday it cut subway service by at least 25 percent. –The New York Times
Phrases That Use Are and Our
There are some phrases that use the word are or our, including:
There are other fish in the sea: There are other people with whom one can meet and have a successful and meaningful relationship.
- After the terrible breakup, he realized that there are other fish in the sea.
Are we there yet: A commonly asked question by children traveling far distances with their family.
- They had only traveled one hour before the children started asking, “Are we there yet?”
Our daily lives: Activities that people do or the way they behave in their daily movements.
- With the advent of the coronavirus, our daily lives have been drastically altered.
Welcome to our house: A common greeting when receiving visitors to one’s home.
- When the homeowners opened the door, they exclaimed, “Welcome to our house!”
How to Remember These Words
Are and our aren’t homophones because they do not have the same sound. Sloppy enunciation is the culprit of confusion between these two words. As revealed earlier, the to be verb are is pronounced \är\. While the pronoun our is pronounced \aů(-ə)r\ and not \är\ as many people are in the habit of saying.
To distinguish between these two words, try changing your pronunciation if you happen to be slack in your diction. One way to do this is to pronounce our as if you were saying the word hour. In fact, both words share the same vocalization. By deliberately focusing on distinguishable pronunciations between the two words, you will be able to pick the correct word more easily.
Quiz: Are or Our
- _______ house was filled with many people to help celebrate a new beginning.
- “_______ you sleeping?” the mother asked her son.
- The slogan read: “We _______ all in this together.”
- We got _______ cat at the new animal shelter.
Article Summary
Is are or our correct? The correct choice comes down to function in a sentence. Are you looking for a to be verb? If so, pick the word are. If you need a pronoun showing ownership, choose the term our.
- Are is a plural to be verb, used with second- and third-person pronouns and nouns.
- Our is a personal pronoun in the possessive case.
Quiz Answers
- Our
- Are
- Are
- Our