It’s (with an apostrophe) is always a contraction of it is or it has. Its (no apostrophe) is the possessive form of it, meaning “belonging to it,” just like his, hers, or ours. If you can replace the word with “it is” or “it has” and the sentence still makes sense, use it’s.
- It’s raining. (It is raining.)
- The dog wagged its tail. (The tail belongs to the dog.)
One form you can cross off your list right now: its’ (apostrophe after the s) is never correct. This GrammarVista.com USA guide shows you the one-second test, why the rule feels backward, and how it fixes three other pairs.
Key Takeaways
- It’s always means “it is” or “it has.”
- Its shows possession and never takes an apostrophe, just like his and hers.
- Its’ does not exist in standard English.
- Test both “it is” and “it has” before you delete an apostrophe.
- The same logic fixes your/you’re, whose/who’s, and their/they’re.
The Two Words, Side by Side
| Word | What it is | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| it’s | contraction | it is / it has | It’s late. It’s been a long week. |
| its | possessive pronoun | belonging to it | The company updated its website. |
| its’ | not a word | (never correct) | None |
A few extra examples:
- It’s going to be hot tomorrow. (It is going to be hot.)
- It’s taken me all day to finish this. (It has taken me all day.)
- Every city has its own traffic problems.
Quick rule: The apostrophe in it’s stands for missing letters, never for ownership.
The “It Is” Substitution Test
This test takes one second and doesn’t require any grammar terms:
- Find the word you’re unsure about.
- Read the sentence aloud with “it is” or “it has” in its place.
- If the sentence makes sense, write it’s. If it sounds wrong, write its.
Let’s try it:
- The phone is losing (its/it’s) charge. “The phone is losing it is charge.” Nonsense, so its.
- (Its/It’s) not my fault. “It is not my fault.” Makes sense, so It’s.
- (Its/It’s) been years since we talked. “It has been years.” Makes sense, so It’s.
- The team celebrated (its/it’s) win. “The team celebrated it is win.” Nonsense, so its.
Memory trick: If you can’t say “it is” or “it has,” leave the apostrophe out.
Don’t Forget “It Has”
Many people test only with “it is” and get confused by sentences like It’s been a while. “It is been a while” sounds wrong, but “it has been a while” sounds fine, so the apostrophe stays.
Always try both expansions before you delete an apostrophe. In practice, it’s means “it has” mostly before been and got, and before past participles like taken, gone, or become.
Why This Is So Confusing
In English, we usually show possession with an apostrophe plus s: the dog’s bowl, Maria’s car. So it feels natural to write it’s for “belonging to it.” Your brain is applying a real rule; it just happens to be the wrong rule here.
The catch is that pronouns don’t use apostrophes for possession. The Purdue OWL puts it simply: possessive pronouns already show possession, so they don’t need an apostrophe. Look at the whole family:
| Pronoun | Possessive form |
|---|---|
| he | his |
| she | her / hers |
| we | our / ours |
| you | your / yours |
| they | their / theirs |
| who | whose |
| it | its |
Nobody writes hi’s or our’s. Its belongs in the same group, and once you see it as a pronoun like his, the missing apostrophe stops looking strange.
Memory trick: His has no apostrophe, and neither does its. Think “his, hers, its.”
For a full rundown of when apostrophes do show possession, see our guide to American punctuation rules, or browse the Punctuation section.
Why “Its'” Is Never Right
People sometimes try its’ as a compromise. But an apostrophe after the s is used for plural nouns that end in s: the students’ lockers, the Smiths’ house.
It has no plural form that would need this, and the possessive its already exists. So its’ has no job to do. If you spot it, change it to its (possessive) or it’s (it is / it has).
The Same Logic Works for Other Pairs
Once you’ve learned the its/it’s rule, you get three more pairs for free. It’s the shortcut GrammarVista.com USA recommends for every pronoun pair. In each one, the version with an apostrophe is a contraction, and the version without is a possessive.
| Contraction (apostrophe = missing letters) | Possessive (no apostrophe) |
|---|---|
| it’s = it is / it has | its = belonging to it |
| you’re = you are | your = belonging to you |
| who’s = who is / who has | whose = belonging to whom |
| they’re = they are | their = belonging to them |
Run the same substitution test:
- (Your/You’re) late. “You are late.” So You’re late.
- Is this (your/you’re) jacket? “You are jacket”? No. So your jacket.
- (Whose/Who’s) phone is ringing? “Who is phone”? No. So Whose phone is ringing?
There, meaning a place, is neither a contraction nor a possessive. If whose makes you think of whom, our post on who vs. whom covers that pair. More sound-alike pairs live in our guide to commonly confused words.
Why Spell Checkers Won’t Save You
Both its and it’s are real, correctly spelled words, so a basic spell checker has no reason to flag either one. The Hamilton College Writing Center lists its/it’s among the word pairs writers most often confuse.
Some grammar checkers catch these mix-ups, but not every case. That’s why a quick manual pass is worth it:
- Search your document for it’s and test each one with “it is” or “it has.”
- Search for its’ and fix every result (there should be none).
| Avoid | Use |
|---|---|
| The app updates it’s settings automatically. | The app updates its settings automatically. |
| Its a beautiful day. | It’s a beautiful day. |
| The committee made its’ decision. | The committee made its decision. |
| Its been ages! | It’s been ages! |
Practice: Its or It’s?
Fill in each blank with its or it’s.
- ______ hard to believe summer is over.
- The car needs new tires; ______ tread is almost gone.
- ______ been raining since noon.
- The bakery is known for ______ sourdough.
- The museum reopened ______ doors after the renovation.
Answer Key
- It’s (It is hard to believe.)
- its (the tread belongs to the car)
- It’s (It has been raining.)
- its (the sourdough belongs to the bakery)
- its (the doors belong to the museum)
Looking for more quick fixes? Try affect vs. effect, or browse the Tricky Words section. If commas are next on your list, our post on the Oxford comma explains when to use it.
The Bottom Line
It’s always means it is or it has. Its always means belonging to it, with no apostrophe, just like his and hers. Its’ never exists.
When in doubt, swap in “it is” or “it has”: if it fits, use the apostrophe; if it doesn’t, leave it out. That’s one rule, four pairs, and fewer red marks.
For more shortcuts like this one, visit GrammarVista.com USA’s American-English guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is “its'” ever correct?
No. “Its'” does not exist in standard English. An apostrophe after the s marks plural possessives such as “the students’ lockers,” but “it” has no plural that needs one, and the possessive “its” already exists. If you see “its'” in a draft, change it to “its” for ownership or “it’s” for “it is.”
Why doesn’t “its” have an apostrophe if it shows possession?
Because “its” is a possessive pronoun, and possessive pronouns never take apostrophes. You write “his,” “hers,” “ours,” and “theirs” without one, and “its” follows the same pattern. Apostrophe plus s is for nouns, like “the dog’s bowl.” In a pronoun, the apostrophe signals missing letters, as in “it’s” for “it is.”
Can “it’s” mean “it has”?
Yes. “It’s” is a contraction of either “it is” or “it has.” It usually means “it has” before “been,” “got,” or a past participle, as in “It’s been a long week” or “It’s taken hours.” That is why you should test both expansions before you remove an apostrophe from a sentence.
Will a spell checker catch its and it’s mistakes?
Usually not. Both “its” and “it’s” are real, correctly spelled words, so a basic spell checker has no reason to flag either one. Some grammar checkers catch the mix-up, but not in every sentence. The most reliable fix is to search your draft for each one and run the “it is” or “it has” test.