Ourselves vs Ourself: Understanding Pronoun Usage and Differences

Using pronouns correctly—especially rare ones—can set your writing apart. Ourselves vs ourself is one of those tricky pairs that trips many people up. Yet once you grasp when each fits, you’ll write more confidently and clearly.

In the next few sections, you’ll dig into:

• What reflexive pronouns are and how they work
• Why ourselves is the default in almost all cases
• How ourself was once used and how it still survives in rare contexts
• Historical evolution of these pronouns
• Common mistakes and how to test for correct usage
• Real examples from literature and speech
• A quick-reference guide and FAQs

Grab your coffee (or tea)—let’s get into the nitty-gritty of ourselves vs ourself.

What Are Reflexive Pronouns?

Reflexive pronouns refer back to the subject of the sentence. In other words, the subject and the object are the same entity.

Some basics

• In English, reflexive pronouns end in -self (singular) or -selves (plural).
• Examples: myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, yourselves, themselves
• They serve two main roles:
  1. Reflexive function – the subject performs an action on itself (e.g. “She taught herself French.”)
  2. Intensive function – used for emphasis (e.g. “I did it myself.”) 

Reflexive pronouns must link to an antecedent (a noun or pronoun mentioned earlier) in the same clause.

For example

• Correct: “We motivated ourselves to finish.”
• Incorrect: “We motivated themselves to finish.”

Why? Because themselves refers to they, not we.

Here’s a quick table of common reflexive forms:

In nearly all modern usage, when the subject is we, the reflexive form to use is ourselves, not ourself. But to understand why ourself ever existed, we need to look at history and usage nuance.

Understanding “Ourselves”

Ourselves is the plural reflexive or intensive pronoun for we. Use it when the subject and object refer to the same plural group.

How we use “ourselves”:

• Reflexive use: “We blamed ourselves for the mistake.”
• Intensive use: “We ourselves can decide what happens.”

Because we is plural, ourselves aligns naturally:

• We = subject
• Ourselves = reflexive object

Common errors with ourselves often arise from mixing singular/plural or slipping into dialect forms like ourself in ordinary speech. But in standard English, ourselves is almost always correct when referring to we.

Understanding “Ourself”

At first glance, ourself looks like a plausible reflexive pronoun. Yet in modern English, it’s nearly extinct in everyday usage. So why does it appear at all?

Historical and Formal Uses

• Older English / Shakespearean style sometimes used ourself when we acted as a singular entity or in formal rhetoric.
• Royal “we”: Monarchs or institutions sometimes refer to themselves using we to convey authority or collective identity. In such contexts, ourself may appear.
  • E.g. “We address ourself to the people.”
• Collective or institutional voice: Sometimes writers treat a group as a single voice or entity, and might sneak ourself in. Yet this is quite rare and often considered stylistic or archaic.
  

Examples and acceptability

In practical writing—blogs, essays, emails—ourself will almost always be a mistake or jarring choice. Use it only if you’re intentionally evoking an archaic or formal tone.

Ourselves vs Ourself: Key Differences

Let’s lay out the differences side by side:

Key point: In modern English, ourselves is the reflexive pronoun you’ll use almost always. Ourself is essentially a stylistic/archaic relic.

Historical Context and Evolution

To understand why ourself lingers, it’s helpful to see how reflexive pronouns evolved in English.

From Old to Middle English

• Early English used “me self” or “we self” constructions, often with self acting as an intensifier.
  
• Over time, self fused into reflexive pronouns (myself, yourself, etc.).
• In older stages, self functioned more like an adjective; only later did it become a noun component that fused tightly to the pronoun.

In that transition, irregularities emerged. For example, himself and themselves formed in slightly different ways than myself or ourselves.

Why ourself wasn’t fully adopted

Many speakers settled on ourselves because self in plural sounded more natural with selves. The irregular third-person forms (himself, herself, themselves) complicated the pattern, but speakers drifted toward regular usage.

Over time, ourself faded because it didn’t mesh with the dominant plural reflexive pattern. But it never disappeared entirely––especially in formal, archaic, or institutional contexts.

Regional and Dialectal Variations

Though rare, ourself still pops up in certain dialects or registers:

• Regional dialects sometimes regularize reflexive patterns (e.g. hisself, theirselves). Ourself may appear by analogy.
• British formal/ceremonial language: In royal proclamations or legal text, ourself might still be used for rhetorical effect.
• Literature or historical writing: Some authors revive archaic usages to evoke period voice.
• Institutional voice: Corporations or groups sometimes write as one singular “we,” and may slip into ourself (though editors usually correct this).

However, across modern American and British English (especially in general usage), ourself is virtually extinct.

Common Grammar Mistakes & How to Avoid Them

Occasionally, writers slip and misuse reflexive pronouns. Here are pitfalls and how to fix them.

Common mistakes:

• We prepared ourself for the exam.
• We will fix ourself this time.
• We congratulated ourself on success.

In each case, the correct form is ourselves.

Quick correction chart

Tips to avoid errors:

• Always match the number: we → ourselves, not ourself.
• If in doubt, replace we with I and see if myself fits. If yes → ourselves.
• Watch for editorial fads or archaic stylings that might tempt you to use ourself.
• Use style guides: Most guides and grammar authorities discourage ourself in everyday prose.
  

How to Test Correct Usage

Here’s a simple, foolproof method:

1. Replace we with I.
2. Replace ourselves or ourself with myself.
3. If myself sounds natural and correct, then ourselves is correct.

Example test:

• Sentence: “We hurt ourselves.”
  → “I hurt myself.” ✅ Sounds correct
• If you tried “We hurt ourself,” the test gives “I hurt myself,” which mismatches myself → ourself fails.

Use this trick every time you get shaky. It rarely fails.

Another quick checklist:

• Does your subject refer to more than one person? → Use ourselves.
• Are you writing in a formal, archaic, or poetic style? → ourself might appear, but use with caution.
• Could an editor or reader find ourself jarring or incorrect? When in doubt, stick with ourselves.

When “Ourself” Might Still Be Acceptable

Although rare and stylistic, there are contexts where ourself might pass:

• Royal or monarchical statement (royal “we”):
  Example: “We address ourself to the assembly.”
• Historical or archaic tone: In fiction or period writing.
• Collective entity treated as singular: Sometimes in legal, religious, or institutional documents.
• Poetic or rhetorical effect: To evoke a sense of unity or voice as a single body.

Still, even in these cases, your readership’s expectation matters. Many modern readers or editors will flag ourself as an error unless you use it very carefully.

Examples from Literature and Speech

Seeing ourselves and ourself in context helps cement their difference.

Shakespeare and older English

Shakespeare and other early modern writers sometimes used ourself when we acted as a singular, representative voice.

“We learn ourself to suffer, and rejoice.”
— (example of older poetic style)

In such texts, you see language free from modern standard constraints. The singular flavor of ourself helped create a tone of solemn authority.

Royal and ceremonial usage

In some royal addresses or proclamations, ourself still appears:

“We have no intention to defy ourself to fate.”

These uses are symbolic—meant to reflect the monarchy as both an individual and a collective.

Modern examples

In everyday modern writing or speech, ourself is rarely seen. Writers who try it in blogs, essays, or emails often face correction from editors or grammar checkers.

Quick Reference Summary

Here’s a compact look at ourselves vs ourself:

Bottom line: Use ourselves in nearly all your writing. Bring in ourself only when you deliberately adopt an archaic or ceremonial tone—and even then, do so with awareness.

FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

Is “ourself” ever grammatically correct?

Yes—but only in specialized, formal, or historical contexts (e.g. royal speech or stylized writing).

Why do some writers use “ourself”?

They may draw from archaic usage, institutional voice, or an attempt to treat “we” as a singular entity. But these are stylistic choices, not standard grammar.

Can I use “ourself” in academic writing?

No. Stick with ourselves. Using ourself in academic or professional writing will likely be flagged as an error.

Which is more common: ourselves or ourself?

By far ourselves. Ourself is extremely rare in modern prose.

Final Thoughts

If you’re ever unsure between ourselves and ourself, default to ourselves—it’s correct in 99.9% of cases.

The only time to consider ourself is when you’re intentionally evoking a ceremonial, historic, or formal voice—and even then, use it sparingly and deliberately.

Language rules change slowly, but clarity and reader expectation matter more than novelty. Use pronouns that communicate meaning without causing distraction.

By mastering ourselves vs ourself, you sharpen not just your writing but your sense of voice and style. Write on—and confidently.

Ruby Skye