Hers vs. Her’s – What’s the Gist?
These two words give the appearance of being homographs, which means they have the same spelling but have different meanings and sounds. However, one of these terms isn’t actually a word at all.
- Hers is a possessive case personal pronoun.
- Her’s is not an incorrect possessive formulation.
The likely root of confusion comes from using an apostrophe to show possession.
How to Use Hers in a Sentence
Hers definition: The word hers is a pronoun that is both singular and plural in construction and means something that belongs to her. Additionally, because the word hers is a possessive case pronoun, it does not need a noun following it, unlike its counterpart her.
For example:
- The new car was hers. (Possessive Case Personal Pronoun)
In this example, we don’t need a noun following hers. Contrast that with our next example,
- Her car was new. (Possessive Case Personal Pronoun)
Here, we need a noun following the word her. The word her becomes possessive when placed in front of a noun, because it functions as an adjective answering the question whose.
Furthermore, the word her can also be an objective case personal pronoun.
For example:
- He said goodbye to her.
In the above example, her functions as an object of a preposition and needs an objective case pronoun. More on this later.
How to Use Her’s in a Sentence
Her’s definition: Her’s is an incorrect possessive formulation of her. Since it isn’t really a word, there is no definition to give.
That being said, the best we could do is make this word a contraction: her is. Put this way, you can see that it would be at best nonstandard English.
For example:
- That book is her is. (Nonsense)
Remember, a contraction is where a word is missing letter(s) and an apostrophe is used to indicate the omitted letter(s).
Outside Examples of Hers vs. Her’s
- Using a medical connection, they arranged tests but had to wait 48 hours for results. Hers was negative—many tests at the time were faulty—but his was positive. –The Wall Street Journal
- “It’s resolved my daughter’s sleeping disorder, my son’s attention span, hers as well,’’ Turley said. “And the doctors continue to tell us they’re the healthiest kids they’ve ever seen and they refuse to give them flu shots, refuse, because their immune systems are so strong.” –USA Today
- And with the public and private schools closed until the end of the school year, Berkowitz, like many others, has a new co-worker. Her’s [sic] is 8½-year-old Jack, her son and third grade student at Three Oaks Elementary in Virginia Beach. –The Virginian-Pilot
- “I didn’t save her number in my phone and clicked on what I thought was her’s [sic], but it turned out to be Stuart who had texted me about a late parcel delivery.” –Daily Mail
Please note that the last two examples above are printed misspellings of the word hers. It goes to show that even online sources can have these mistakes. Just remember you can’t trust everything you see on the internet.
Phrases That Use Hers and Her’s
Not surprisingly, there aren’t many phrases that use hers or her’s, but there is one for hers:
She will get hers: Eventually, a person will receive the punishment or treatment she deserves.
- The betrayed friend hoped that her colleague would eventually get hers.
How to Remember These Words
The reason for the confusion comes down to how to make the word possessive. You might think adding an apostrophe is the answer, but it’s not. With nouns, we do add apostrophes. However, possessive personal pronouns are already possessive, so there is no need for one. We never use an apostrophe with them. Ever.
The following chart may help you see this concept better:
| Person | Nominative Case Pronouns | Objective Case Pronouns | Possessive Case Pronouns | Possessive Case Pronouns (Adjectives) |
| 1st Person Singular | I | Me | Mine | My |
| 2nd Person Singular | You | You | Yours | Your |
| 3rd Person Singular (Male) | He | Him | His | His |
| 3rd Person Singular (Female) | She | Her | Hers | Her |
| 3rd Person Singular (Thing) | It | It | Its | Its |
| 1st Person Plural | We | Us | Ours | Our |
| 2nd Person Plural | You (all) | You (all) | Yours | Your |
| 3rd Person Plural | They | Them | Theirs | Their |
As you look over the last two columns, you see that not one possessive case personal pronoun uses an apostrophe. In their form, they are already possessive, so no apostrophe is needed. Not only that, they are not nouns (which do need the apostrophe to show possession).
One other thing to point out. The first column of possessive case personal pronouns is just that—pronouns. This function allows them to stand alone.
For example:
- That book is mine. (Stand Alone Possessive Pronoun)
- This car is ours. (Stand Alone Possessive Pronoun)
- That tablet is hers. (Stand Alone Possessive Pronoun)
On the other hand, the last column of possessive case personal pronouns functions as adjectives, meaning they cannot stand alone and need a noun to follow.
For example:
- That is my book. (Adjective)
- That is my. (Incomplete Thought)
Quiz: Hers or Her’s
- She grabbed what was _______ and left.
- _______ was a long and arduous journey.
- The dropped mail is _______.
Article Summary
Is hers or her’s correct? Just remember if you are using a possessive case personal pronoun, forget the apostrophe, and you’ll be correct. It’s that simple.
- Hers is a feminine possessive case personal pronoun.
- Her’s is twaddle.
Quiz Answers
Hers
Hers
Hers