Have you ever stopped while writing a sentence and wondered whether to use ourselves or ourself? You are not alone! These two words look almost identical, and both relate to the word we.
However, choosing the wrong one can make your sentence sound grammatically awkward. Whether you are writing a social media caption, sending a message to a friend, or working on an English assignment, understanding the difference can help you communicate more confidently.
The good news is that the rule is easier than you might think. Let’s explore the meanings, grammar rules, examples, and common mistakes so you can choose the right word every time.
Quick Answer:
Ourselves is the standard reflexive pronoun used with we when referring to multiple people. Ourself is uncommon in modern English and is generally used in specific contexts, such as the royal we or certain formal or historical expressions.
🧠 What Does Ourselves vs Ourself Mean?
The main difference between ourselves and ourself is how they are used in English grammar.
What Does Ourselves Mean?
Ourselves is a reflexive pronoun used when the subject of a sentence is we and the action refers back to the same people. It can also emphasize that people did something personally, without help from others.
Examples:
- We prepared ourselves for the final exam.
- We made this website ourselves.
- We should believe in ourselves.
- We enjoyed ourselves at the party.
In these sentences, ourselves refers to the same people represented by we.
What Does Ourself Mean?
Ourself is a singular-form reflexive pronoun associated with the first-person plural pronoun we in certain specialized contexts. It is uncommon in everyday modern English.
It may appear when a single person uses we to refer to themselves, such as a monarch using the royal we. It can also occur in historical writing or particular formal expressions.
Examples:
- The monarch referred to ourself in a traditional royal expression.
- In some historical or specialized writing, a speaker may use ourself when referring to a single individual through we.
These uses are unusual in everyday conversation. If you are writing a normal sentence about yourself and other people, ourselves is almost always the correct choice.
In short: Ourselves = the standard reflexive pronoun for we; ourself = a rare form used in specialized contexts.
📱 Where Is Ourselves vs Ourself Commonly Used?
Unlike internet slang, ourselves and ourself are standard English words rather than texting abbreviations. You may encounter them in writing, conversation, social media, and educational content.
Here are some common situations where you might see these words:
- 💬 Text messages: Friends use ourselves when talking about activities they do together. Example: We can handle this ourselves.
- 📸 Instagram captions: People use ourselves when describing personal experiences, group achievements, or memories. Example: We treated ourselves to a little vacation.
- 🎵 TikTok captions: Creators may use ourselves when discussing self-improvement, confidence, or independence. Example: We need to start believing in ourselves.
- 📝 School assignments: Students learn the difference between ourselves and ourself when studying reflexive pronouns.
- 💼 Workplace communication: Ourselves can emphasize that a team completed a task independently. Example: We developed the presentation ourselves.
- 📚 Books and historical writing: Ourself may appear in older texts or specialized uses of the pronoun we.
Is it formal or casual?
Ourselves is appropriate in both formal and informal English. You can use it in essays, emails, conversations, captions, and professional documents.
Ourself is much less common. Unless you are writing in a specific historical, royal, or specialized style, it is generally better to use ourselves when referring to a group.
💬 Examples of Ourselves vs Ourself in Conversation
These examples show how ourselves works naturally in everyday communication and how ourself differs in specialized contexts.
1. Talking About Independence
A: who fixed the computer? 💻
B: we fixed it ourselves!
Meaning: The people completed the task without outside help.
2. Encouraging Friends
A: i don’t think we can win this competition 😕
B: let’s believe in ourselves! 💪
Meaning: The speaker encourages everyone in the group to have confidence.
3. Planning a Trip
A: should we hire someone to organize the trip?
B: nah, we can plan everything ourselves 😂
Meaning: The group can organize the trip without assistance.
4. Talking About Personal Growth
A: what’s one thing we should work on this year?
B: we should take better care of ourselves ❤️
Meaning: The speaker refers to the well-being of everyone included in we.
5. Discussing a School Project
A: did your teacher help you make the poster?
B: nope, we made it ourselves 🎨
Meaning: The students completed the poster independently.
6. Talking About Confidence
A: i’m nervous about our presentation tomorrow
B: we’ll be fine. let’s trust ourselves 😊
Meaning: The speaker encourages confidence. Here, ourselves would also work if the intended meaning emphasizes the whole group: Let’s trust ourselves.
7. Understanding Ourself in a Specialized Context
A: why does this historical passage use ourself instead of ourselves?
B: the writer may be using we to refer to one person in a traditional or specialized way 📚
Meaning: Ourself can occur in certain historical or specialized constructions, but it is not the usual choice in everyday English.
Notice that most ordinary conversations use ourselves. You generally do not need to use ourself unless the context specifically calls for it.
🕓 When to Use and When Not to Use Ourselves vs Ourself
Choosing between these words becomes simple when you consider who we refers to and whether the sentence follows ordinary modern English.
✅ When to Use Ourselves
- When talking about a group: We prepared ourselves for the challenge.
- When describing independent action: We completed the project ourselves.
- When emphasizing a group: We ourselves witnessed what happened.
- When discussing personal care: We should look after ourselves.
- When writing formal or casual English: Ourselves works naturally in both settings.
❌ When Not to Use Ourself
- In ordinary sentences about a group: Avoid We enjoyed ourself at the concert. Write We enjoyed ourselves at the concert.
- In standard school assignments: Use ourselves unless a specialized construction is specifically required.
- In everyday captions and messages: Ourself may look like a grammatical mistake to readers.
- When you mean yourself alone: Use myself when the subject is I, as in I completed the task myself.
- When a standard plural reflexive pronoun is needed: Do not replace ourselves with ourself simply to make a sentence shorter.
Ourselves vs Ourself: Comparison Table
| Context | Example Phrase | Why It Works |
|---|---|---|
| Friend chat | We made dinner ourselves 😄 | Correct standard usage |
| Group project | We completed it ourselves. | Shows independent action |
| Work email | We reviewed the report ourselves. | Clear and professional |
| School essay | We should prepare ourselves for change. | Grammatically standard |
| Specialized historical text | A speaker uses ourself with we referring to one person. | May fit a specific historical or formal convention |
The safest rule is simple: use ourselves in ordinary modern English when we refers to multiple people.
🔄 Similar Words or Alternatives
Understanding related reflexive pronouns can help you avoid mistakes and improve your writing.
| Word | Meaning | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
| Myself | Refers back to I | I made it myself. |
| Yourself | Refers to one person addressed as you | You should trust yourself. |
| Yourselves | Refers to multiple people addressed as you | You should prepare yourselves. |
| Himself | Refers back to a male person | He taught himself to cook. |
| Herself | Refers back to a female person | She introduced herself. |
| Themselves | Refers back to they or them | They organized the event themselves. |
These words are all reflexive pronouns, but each matches a different subject.
For example, you would say I taught myself, we taught ourselves, and they taught themselves. Matching the pronoun correctly is the easiest way to avoid common grammatical errors.
❓ FAQs About Ourselves vs Ourself
1. Is ourselves or ourself correct?
Ourselves is correct in standard modern English when we refers to multiple people. Ourself is uncommon and reserved for specific contexts.
2. Is ourself a real word?
Yes. Ourself is a recognized English word, although it is rare in everyday modern usage.
3. Why do people use ourself instead of ourselves?
Some people use ourself in historical, royal, or specialized writing where we refers to one person rather than a group.
4. Can I use ourself in a sentence?
Yes, when the context specifically supports this uncommon construction. In ordinary writing, ourselves is usually the better choice.
5. What is the difference between ourselves and ourself?
Ourselves is the standard reflexive pronoun for a plural we. Ourself is an uncommon alternative associated with specialized uses of we.
6. Is ourselves plural?
Yes. Ourselves is the standard plural reflexive pronoun corresponding to we.
7. Which is correct: we did it ourselves or we did it ourself?
We did it ourselves is correct in standard modern English when we refers to a group.
8. Can I use ourselves in formal writing?
Yes. Ourselves is suitable for academic essays, professional emails, reports, and other formal writing.
9. Is ourself grammatically wrong?
Not always. It can be grammatical in particular historical or specialized contexts, but it is generally inappropriate as a substitute for ourselves in ordinary plural sentences.
10. How can I remember the difference?
Remember this simple rule: when we refers to a group, use ourselves. Use ourself only when a specific specialized construction calls for it.
Emily Carter is a writer at MeaningNetworks, creating clear, engaging articles about texting slang, internet abbreviations, emojis, and social media language to help readers understand digital communication.
