Practice
You're welcome or your welcome: which is correct?
The apostrophe in you're replaces the missing letter in you are. Your has no apostrophe because it is a possessive word.
Use you're welcome as a reply to thanks, and use your welcome before a noun when you mean something that belongs to the listener.
Read and practice
Read the examples and try the written questions in this guide. Listening recordings are not available for this lesson yet.
Try the written questions
you're welcome /jʊr ˈwɛl.kəm/
The short answer
Use you're welcome after someone says thank you. Use your welcome before a noun when the welcome belongs to the person you are speaking to.
You're welcome, Maya. I was happy to help.
Why it works: You're means you are, so this is a polite reply to thanks.
4 more examples
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Thank you for carrying those boxes. You're welcome.
This is a complete polite response, so the contraction is needed.
Not this:The team appreciated
your welcomeat the first meeting. What changes: Welcome is a noun here, and your tells us whose welcome the team appreciated. -
You're welcome to join us for lunch if you are free.
Here you're is still short for you are, but the phrase gives permission or an invitation.
Not this:
Your welcome noteis on the desk beside the visitor badges. What changes: Your modifies the noun note. It does not replace you are. -
You're welcome to ask questions after the presentation.
You can expand the phrase to you are welcome, which confirms the contraction.
Not this:Please finish
your welcome speechbefore the guests arrive. What changes: Your shows that the speech belongs to the person being addressed. -
You're welcome. The directions were clear, so the task was easy to explain.
The phrase can stand alone as a response to thanks.
Not this:We saved
your welcome signafter the event ended. What changes: Your comes before the noun sign and marks the connection to the listener.
Read the full guide
Try expanding you're to you are. If the sentence still works, you're is the right form. If you need a word that means belonging to you, choose your before the noun.
Start with the reply to thanks
When someone says thank you, write you're welcome. The phrase is short for you are welcome, so it needs the apostrophe in you're.
Thank you for waiting for me. You're welcome.
You are welcome is the full form. You're welcome is the usual short form in everyday writing.
Which form can reply to thank you: you're welcome or your welcome?
Use you're welcome because it means you are welcome.
Use the expansion test
Expand you're to you are before you decide. If the expanded sentence is grammatical and keeps the meaning, you're is correct. This test also works in sentences that give permission.
You're welcome to use the meeting room after noon.
You are welcome to use the meeting room after noon. The full form shows why you're is correct.
Can you replace you're with you are in this sentence?
Yes. The expansion works, so you're is correct.
Use your before a noun
Your shows possession or connection. It usually comes before a noun. In your welcome message, message is the noun, and the phrase refers to a message from or for the listener.
Your welcome message gave every visitor the time and place of the meeting.
The welcome message gave every visitor the time and place of the meeting. Without your, the sentence does not say whose message it was.
What noun follows your in your welcome message?
Message is the noun that follows your welcome.
Do not use your as a contraction
Your never means you are. It is like my, his, her, our, and their: it points to a noun. If the sentence ends with a polite reply, your cannot do that job.
Ari said thank you, and Lee answered, You're welcome.
Ari read your welcome card. Here your works because card is the noun.
Does your mean you are?
No. Your shows possession or connection before a noun.
Check the words after welcome
Look at what comes after welcome. A noun such as message, sign, speech, or card often points to your. A period after a reply to thanks often points to you're.
Your welcome sign is ready for the visitors.
You're welcome to use the sign. This sentence uses you are welcome and gives permission.
Which form fits before the noun sign?
Use your: your welcome sign.
Before you go
Remember this
Use you're welcome when you mean you are welcome, especially after thanks. Use your before a noun when the noun belongs to or is connected with the listener.
Practice with the written examples
You can practice with the written questions in the Learn tab. Each answer includes an explanation.
Try the written questionsListening test not available yet
This lesson does not have the recordings needed for a listening test. Use the written questions in the guide to check your understanding.
Try the written questionsQuestions about "You're welcome or your welcome: which is correct?"
Is you're welcome correct after thank you?
Yes. Write you're welcome as a polite reply after someone says thank you. You're is a contraction of you are, so the apostrophe belongs in the phrase. The full form you are welcome is possible, but the contraction is more common in everyday messages.
You're welcome, Maya. I was happy to help.
When should I write your welcome?
Write your welcome when welcome is a noun that is connected with the person you are speaking to. It normally comes before another noun, as in your welcome message or your welcome sign. Your is possessive, so it does not mean you are.
Your welcome message made the new students feel at ease.
Can I replace you're with you are?
Usually, yes. If you can change you're to you are and the sentence still makes sense, the contraction is correct. This works in a reply to thanks and in a sentence that gives permission, such as an invitation to join an activity.
Thank you for carrying those boxes. You're welcome.
Why does you're have an apostrophe?
You're has an apostrophe because it joins the words you and are. The apostrophe marks the missing letter from are. Your has no apostrophe because it is a possessive determiner, like my or their, that comes before a noun.
The team appreciated your welcome at the first meeting.
Is your welcome a common phrase?
Your welcome is less common than you're welcome because it needs a noun meaning of welcome. You may see it in phrases such as your welcome message, your welcome card, or your welcome speech. A reply to thanks still needs you're welcome.
You're welcome to join us for lunch if you are free.