Choosing between “ourselves” and “ourself” can confuse even confident English speakers. Both words look similar, but they do not serve the same purpose in everyday English. “Ourselves” is the standard reflexive pronoun we use with “we” when we talk about more than one person. “Ourself,” on the other hand, has a much more limited and uncommon use, which makes many people wonder whether it is actually correct.
Understanding the difference becomes easier when you look at how “we” works in a sentence. In this guide, we’ll explain the meaning, grammar, and correct usage of ourselves vs ourself, with clear examples to help you choose the right word. We’ll also look at special cases, including “our self” and formal uses of “we,” so you can avoid common mistakes and write with confidence.
Quick Answer ⚡
“Ourselves” is the standard reflexive pronoun we use with “we” when “we” refers to two or more people. For example, “We introduced ourselves to the new team.” ✅ In normal conversation, schoolwork, business writing, and most formal writing, ourselves is the natural choice.
“Ourself” is a real but rare word. 📚 It can appear in special situations when “we” refers to one person, such as certain uses of the royal or formal “we.” Therefore, saying that “ourself” is always wrong would be too simple. The best rule is: use ourselves in ordinary English unless a special context clearly calls for “ourself.”
TL;DR ⚡
- Ourselves ✅ is the standard reflexive pronoun used with “we” when we mean two or more people.
- Ourself ⚠️ is a real word, but it is rare and specialized.
- Use ourselves in everyday conversations, essays, emails, and professional writing.
- Ourself can appear when “we” refers to one person in special contexts, such as the royal we 👑.
- Our self 🧠 is different from ourself and can refer to an individual or inner sense of self.
- Examples:
- ✅ We introduced ourselves to the team.
- ⚠️ We referred to ourself — possible only in a special context.
- Simple rule: 👇 Normal plural “we” → ourselves.
- If you are unsure, choose ourselves because it is the natural choice in modern English. 🎯
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What Does “Ourselves” Mean? 👥
Ourselves is a reflexive pronoun that refers back to the first-person plural pronoun “we.” We use it when the people who perform an action are also affected by that action. For example, “We prepared ourselves for the meeting.” Here, we performs the action, while ourselves refers back to the same people.
We also use ourselves for emphasis. ✨ For example, “We ourselves completed the project.” In this sentence, the word adds emphasis rather than simply showing a reflexive action. This makes ourselves common in everyday English and professional writing.
Examples of Ourselves ✍️
- We introduced ourselves to the guests. 👋
- We taught ourselves how to use the software. 💻
- We should remind ourselves to stay focused. 🎯
- We prepared ourselves for the difficult task. 💪
- We completed the work ourselves. ✅
What Does “Ourself” Mean? 📖
Ourself is the less common form of the first-person plural possessive reflexive. Unlike ourselves, people rarely use it in ordinary modern English. Dictionaries recognize the word, but its use depends heavily on context and the meaning of “we.” This makes ourself different from a simple spelling mistake.
You may see ourself in historical, formal, literary, or special uses of “we.” 🏛️ For example, a monarch may use “we” while speaking about one person. In such a case, ourself can sometimes appear. However, ordinary speakers should normally choose ourselves when “we” means a group.
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Ourselves vs Ourself: Key Difference 🔍
The main difference between ourselves and ourself comes from their normal usage. Ourselves works naturally when we refers to multiple people. Ourself has a much narrower use and may appear when “we” refers to one person in a special formal or historical context.
| Word | Common Use | Typical Reference | Example |
| Ourselves 👥 | Standard modern English | More than one person | We prepared ourselves |
| Ourself 🏛️ | Rare/special English | Special singular “we” | We referred to ourself |
| Our self 🧠 | Separate phrase | One’s inner or individual self | We must understand our self |
For most everyday sentences, ourselves is the safe and natural choice. ✅
When Should You Use “Ourselves”? ✅
Use ourselves when “we” refers to more than one person and the sentence needs a reflexive pronoun. This is the normal rule in modern English. You can use it as the object of a verb, after a preposition, or to add emphasis.
For example, “We congratulated ourselves on our success” uses ourselves because the same group receives the action. 🎉 You can also say, “We did the work ourselves.” In professional, academic, and everyday writing, ourselves will almost always sound more natural than ourself when you mean a group.
Common Uses of Ourselves 📝
- Reflexive: We blamed ourselves for the mistake.
- Emphasis: We ourselves made the decision.
- After a preposition: We kept the secret to ourselves.
- With an action: We introduced ourselves.
- For a group: We should remind ourselves of the rules.
When Can You Use “Ourself”? ⚠️
You can use ourself in certain special contexts, but you should not replace ourselves with it in normal plural sentences. The word can appear when “we” refers to one person through a special form of speech. It may also appear in historical, ceremonial, literary, or highly formal language.
For example, a monarch might use “we” to refer to himself or herself. 👑 In such a context, ourself may occur because the speaker represents one person. Still, this usage is unusual for modern everyday English. If you are writing a normal email, essay, article, or conversation, ourselves is usually the better choice.
Special Uses of “Ourself” 🏛️
Royal we: A monarch may use “we” to speak as an individual ruler. 👑
Editorial we: A writer may use “we” to represent an editorial voice or publication.
Institutional we: An organization may use “we” as a formal speaking voice.
Historical or literary use: Older texts may contain ourself because English usage has changed over time.
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Ourself vs Our Self vs Ourselves 🧠
These three forms can look confusing, but they do not always mean the same thing. Ourselves is one word and normally works as the reflexive form of we. Ourself is also one word, but it has rare and specialized uses. Our self, written as two words, can refer to an individual or inner sense of self rather than functioning as the normal plural reflexive pronoun.
For example, “We should trust ourselves” is a normal sentence. ✅ “We must understand our self” can have a more philosophical or individual meaning. The spacing therefore matters, especially when you want to express a specific idea.
Can “Ourself” Be Used With “We”? 🤔
Yes, ourself can appear with “we,” but the context matters. In ordinary English, we normally refers to several people, so ourselves naturally follows it. However, English sometimes uses “we” for one person in special situations. This creates a situation where ourself can make sense.
For example, a monarch might say “we” while speaking as a single ruler. 👑 A formal institutional voice can also create unusual pronoun patterns. However, you should not use this possibility as a general rule. If we clearly means several people, choose ourselves.
Why Does “Ourself” Exist? 📚
The existence of ourself comes from the long history of English pronouns and different ways speakers have used “we.” English has allowed “we” to represent more than a simple group of people. In some settings, a single person can use “we” to represent authority, an institution, or a formal role.
Over time, ourselves became the normal reflexive form for ordinary plural we. 🔤 As everyday English became more standardized, ourself became much less common. Today, you may still find it in historical, formal, literary, or specialized writing, but most readers expect ourselves in ordinary modern sentences.
Common Mistakes With Ourselves and Ourself ❌
The most common mistake happens when writers use ourself simply because it sounds like a shorter version of ourselves. In normal plural sentences, that choice usually sounds incorrect or unnatural.
Consider these examples:
- ❌ We introduced ourself to the class.
- ✅ We introduced ourselves to the class.
- ❌ We prepared ourself for the test.
- ✅ We prepared ourselves for the test.
- ❌ We should remind ourself about the deadline.
- ✅ We should remind ourselves about the deadline.
A simple rule helps: normal plural “we” → ourselves. 🎯
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How to Choose Between Ourselves and Ourself 🧭
You can use a quick decision test whenever you feel unsure. First, ask what “we” means in your sentence. If we refers to two or more people, choose ourselves. This covers almost all ordinary conversations and standard writing.
Next, ask whether we refers to one person in a special formal, royal, historical, or literary way. 👑 If it does, ourself may be possible, depending on the style and context. If you are still unsure, choose ourselves for ordinary modern English. This simple test will help you avoid most mistakes.
Ourselves or Ourself Examples ✍️
Examples make the difference easier to remember. In normal modern English, ourselves appears naturally when a group performs an action on itself or emphasizes its own involvement.
Standard examples:
- We introduced ourselves at the meeting. 👋
- We bought the materials ourselves. 🛒
- We should prepare ourselves for the change.
- We reminded ourselves to stay calm. 🧘
- We kept the information to ourselves.
Special example:
- A monarch may use we as a formal singular voice and, in certain contexts, refer back to ourself. 👑
These examples show why ourselves remains the correct everyday choice.
Is “Ourself” a Word? 🔤
Yes, ourself is a word, but that does not mean you should use it whenever you would normally use ourselves. Dictionaries recognize ourself, while also showing that it has limited or uncommon usage. 📚 Its meaning and acceptability depend on how the speaker uses we.
For most readers, ourself will look unusual in a normal sentence such as “We introduced ourself.” In that situation, ourselves is the standard choice. Therefore, it is better to think of ourself as a real but specialized word, rather than calling it completely wrong or treating it as the everyday alternative to ourselves.
Frequently Asked Questions ❓
Is “ourselves” or “ourself” correct? ✅
Ourselves is correct in normal modern English when “we” refers to two or more people. For example, “We introduced ourselves to the guests.” Ourself is also a real word, but it has a rare and specialized use. It may appear when “we” refers to one person in a formal, royal, historical, or literary context. 👑 For everyday writing and conversation, ourselves is almost always the better choice.
Is “ourself” a real word? 📚
Yes, ourself is a real word, and dictionaries recognize it. However, people rarely use it in ordinary modern English. Its use usually depends on a special meaning of “we.” For example, a monarch may use “we” to refer to himself or herself. In such cases, ourself can sometimes appear. So, “ourself” is not simply a spelling mistake, but you should not normally use it instead of ourselves.
What is the difference between “ourselves” and “ourself”? 🔍
The main difference involves number and usage. Ourselves normally refers to a group of people and works as the reflexive form of “we.” Ourself has a much more limited use and can refer back to a special singular use of “we.” 👑 In simple terms, remember this rule: ordinary plural “we” → ourselves. Special singular or formal “we” → ourself may be possible, depending on the context.
When should I use “ourselves”? 👥
Use ourselves when “we” refers to more than one person. You can use it after verbs, prepositions, or for emphasis. For example:
- We prepared ourselves for the meeting.
- We introduced ourselves to the team.
- We completed the project ourselves. 💪
This is the normal choice in everyday English, academic writing, emails, and professional communication.
When can I use “ourself”? ⚠️
You can use ourself in certain formal, historical, literary, or specialized situations. One important example involves the royal “we,” where one monarch uses “we” to refer to himself or herself. 👑 Some institutional or formal uses can also create this pattern. However, you should avoid using ourself simply because it seems like a shorter form of ourselves. In normal plural sentences, ourselves remains the standard choice.
Can “ourself” be used with “we”? 🤔
Yes, ourself can sometimes be used with “we,” but only when the context supports it. Normally, we refers to multiple people, so ourselves naturally follows it. However, English sometimes uses “we” for one person in special situations. In those cases, ourself may work. If we means a group, use ourselves. 🎯 This distinction helps you choose the correct form without memorizing complicated grammar rules.
Is “our self” the same as “ourself”? 🧠
No. “Our self” and “ourself” are different forms. Ourself is one word and has a rare reflexive use. Our self, written as two words, can refer to an individual or inner sense of self. For example, “We need to understand our self” can express a philosophical or individual idea. Meanwhile, “We need to understand ourselves” is the normal reflexive construction when we refers to a group.
Is “ourselves” always plural? 👥
In standard modern English, ourselves normally refers to more than one person because it corresponds to the plural pronoun “we.” For example, “We enjoyed ourselves” means that several people enjoyed themselves. However, English can use “we” in special ways that do not refer simply to a group. This explains why ourself can appear in limited contexts. For ordinary grammar, however, think of ourselves as the plural reflexive pronoun.
Which one should I use in everyday English? ✅
Use ourselves in everyday English. It is the natural and standard choice when you talk about yourself and other people. For example, “We should remind ourselves about the deadline.” Using ourself in this sentence would sound unusual to most readers. Unless you are dealing with a special royal, historical, literary, or institutional context, there is usually no reason to choose ourself. 👍
What is the easiest way to remember the difference? 💡
Use this simple rule:
- We = a group → ourselves 👥
- We = one person in a special formal context → ourself may be possible 👑
- Our self = separate phrase with a different meaning 🧠
If you are writing a normal sentence and still feel unsure, choose ourselves. It is the standard form that works in most modern English situations.
Final Verdict 🏆
The answer is simple for most situations: use “ourselves” when “we” refers to a group of people. It is the standard reflexive pronoun in modern English and works naturally in conversations, essays, emails, professional writing, and everyday sentences.
Ourself has a place in English, but its use remains rare and context-dependent. It may appear with special forms of “we,” including certain royal, formal, historical, or institutional uses. 🎯 If you are writing a normal sentence and cannot identify a special reason to use ourself, choose ourselves. That choice will almost always be correct and natural.
