Then vs. Than & There vs Their

There are a number of words in the english language that are easy to misuse. I have been fortunate to always have an eye for misused words and having an instinctual knowledge of their proper usage. Not saying that I am perfect by any means, but I feel like I do fairly well when it comes to knowing when and where to use words.

I think the two most common misuses of words that I see are there vs. their and then vs. than.

I am one of those weird people who gets frustrated when they see a sentence like this:

"Theirs a really good reason for that."

Or:

"That house is theres."

Ask my wife how crazy it makes me to see someone misuse one of those words. Actually, don't. I should probably seek professional help.

Anyway, do any of you had any tips or tricks to help remember words like the ones I mentioned? I have never had to use any tricks but I know that things like mnemonic devices can be useful for some people. Are there any other tips or tricks you guys know about?

What sparked this blog entry was this sign that was prominently displayed on ESPN this weekend:

So wrong on so many levels.