One is possessive, the other is short for 'you are'.
Possessive adjective. Shows that something belongs to the person you are talking to.
Your English is improving fast.
Tu inglés está mejorando rápido.
Is this your bag?
¿Es esta tu bolsa?
I love your idea.
Me encanta tu idea.
Contraction of 'you are'. Used to say someone is something or is in a certain state.
You're doing a great job!
¡Lo estás haciendo genial!
I think you're right.
Creo que tienes razón.
You're going to love this movie.
Vas a amar esta película.
Common mistake
Writing 'your' instead of 'you're' or vice versa. Wrong: "Your going to be late." (correct: You're going to be late.)
Trick to remember it
Try the replacement test: if you can swap it for 'you are' without it sounding wrong, use 'you're'. If not, use 'your'.
Quick rule
Replace with 'you are': if it sounds right, write 'you're'. If not, write 'your'.
Did you know?
The 'your' vs 'you're' mistake is so common online that it has its own internet memes. It ranks among the most frequent grammar errors in social media comments, even among native English speakers.
Exercise 1 · Pick the right one
_____ going to love this restaurant!
Exercise 2 · Pick the right one
I really like _____ new haircut.
Exercise 3 · Form the word
Replace with 'you are': if it sounds right, write 'you're'. If not, write 'your'.
Writing 'your' instead of 'you're' or vice versa. Wrong: "Your going to be late." (correct: You're going to be late.)
Try the replacement test: if you can swap it for 'you are' without it sounding wrong, use 'you're'. If not, use 'your'.
Bryan López
Founder of SpeakUP Academy