Its vs. It's: What's the Difference?
Quick Answer
its = possessive pronoun (belonging to it) — no apostrophe
it's = contraction of "it is" or "it has"
Explanation
ITS (no apostrophe)
Possessive pronoun — shows ownership
Like: his, her, our, their
"The dog wagged its tail."
"The company lost its CEO."
IT'S (with apostrophe)
Contraction of "it is" or "it has"
it's = it is / it has
"It's raining outside." (it is)
"It's been a great year." (it has)
Quick test: Replace the word with "it is" or "it has". If the sentence still makes sense → use it's. If not → use its.
Why no apostrophe for possession?
Possessive pronouns (his, hers, ours, theirs, its) never use apostrophes. The apostrophe in "it's" always marks a missing letter — the "i" in "is" or the "ha" in "has".
Examples
Common Mistakes
Incorrect: The team celebrated it's victory.
Correct: The team celebrated its victory. (possessive — replace test: "the team celebrated it is victory" ✘)
Incorrect: Its getting late.
Correct: It's getting late. (it is getting late ✔)
Practice
Choose the correct word:
"The bird returned to _____ nest after the storm."