That vs The vs This

When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.

That

High-frequency chunk A1 determiner

The

High-frequency chunk A1

This

High-frequency chunk A1

	That	The	This
Pronunciation	🇬🇧 /["/ðæt/","/ðəʊz/"]/ 🇺🇸 /["/ðæt/","/ðəʊz/"]/	🇬🇧 /["/ðə//ði//ðiː/","/ðiː/"]/ 🇺🇸 /["/ðə//ði//ðiː/","/ðiː/"]/	🇬🇧 /["/ðɪs/","/ðiːz/"]/ 🇺🇸 /["/ðɪs/","/ðiːz/"]/
Meaning	used to refer to a specific thing or person	A word that shows a specific thing is being talked about.	Used to refer to something nearby or just mentioned.
Example	Look at that man over there.	The cat is on the mat.	This is my favorite book.
Register	Neutral	Neutral	Neutral
How common	High-frequency chunk	High-frequency chunk	High-frequency chunk
CEFR level	A1	A1	A1
Part of speech	determiner
Collocations	that is, that way, that means, not that, that much	the best, the worst, the first, the last, the same	this time, this week, this way
Antonyms	this	-	that
Common mistakes	Confusing 'that' with 'which' in restrictive vs non-restrictive clauses., Using 'that' when the antecedent is a person (use 'who')., Overusing 'that' in sentences, which can make them awkward.	Omitting 'the' before unique nouns, like 'the sun'., Using 'the' before general nouns, like 'the dogs' when talking about all dogs., Confused with 'a' or 'an' when referring to something for the first time.	Using 'this' for objects that are not close., Confusing 'this' with 'these' (plural)., Using 'this' as a standalone response without context.
Usage notes	Used to refer to something already mentioned or known. In spoken English, it's often used informally. Be careful not to use it in overly formal writing where specificity is needed.	Used before nouns to refer to something specific, like 'the book'. Common in both spoken and written English, but omitted in some languages.	Used in both spoken and written English. When referring to something far away, use 'that' instead of 'this'.

Frequently asked questions: That vs The vs This

What's the difference between That, The, and This?

That: used to refer to a specific thing or person The: A word that shows a specific thing is being talked about. This: Used to refer to something nearby or just mentioned.

Are That, The, and This the same CEFR level?

That: A1, The: A1, This: A1 on the CEFR scale.

Can you show an example of each?

That: Look at that man over there. The: The cat is on the mat. This: This is my favorite book.

Can I use That, The, and This interchangeably?

Not always. That, The, and This are related and overlap in some contexts, but they differ in register, how common they are, and usage, so swapping one for another can change the meaning or tone. Check the differences above before substituting.