Ourselves and ourself look like two forms of the same word, so the choice can feel confusing. In ordinary American English, however, they do not have equal status or the same typical use.
Ourselves is the normal reflexive and emphatic form associated with we when we refers to the speaker and at least one other person. Ourself exists, but its use is much narrower.
The main issue is not simply spelling. It is the kind of we that the sentence represents.
Quick Answer
Use ourselves in normal modern American English when we refers to more than one person.
- We prepared ourselves for the meeting.
- We taught ourselves how to use the new system.
- We completed the project ourselves.
Ourself is a specialized form that can occur when we refers to one person, especially in a royal or similarly formal use. Some dictionaries also label other uses of ourself nonstandard.
So, for everyday American English, ourselves is the form readers normally expect. The existence of ourself does not make the two forms interchangeable.
Why People Confuse Them
The confusion comes from the structure of the words.
English has familiar forms such as myself, yourself, and ourselves. Because ourself appears to be a simple combination of our and self, it may seem logical to use it whenever the writer wants a reflexive form connected with our.
But English reflexive forms are established words, not forms that can always be created by combining pieces.
The normal reflexive form corresponding to we is ourselves. Cambridge’s grammar reference lists the standard pattern as I → myself, you → yourself, we → ourselves, and they → themselves.
Key Differences At A Glance
| Context | Best Choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Two or more people referring back to themselves | ourselves | It is the standard plural reflexive form. |
| Two or more people emphasizing who performed an action | ourselves | It can emphasize the subject. |
| “We” meaning one person in a specialized formal use | ourself | The singular form can correspond to singular use of we. |
| Everyday American conversation | ourselves | It is the expected modern form. |
| Business or school writing | ourselves | It avoids the marked or unusual feel of ourself. |
| Historical or ceremonial language | ourself may occur | Its specialized use is documented in dictionaries. |
The important point is that ourself is not simply the singular version of ourselves for ordinary sentences. Its use depends on what we represents.
Comparison at a glance:
- Ourselves: standard, plural, ordinary, reflexive or emphatic.
- Ourself: rare, specialized, singular-we use; some uses are labeled nonstandard.
Meaning and Usage Difference
Ourselves normally refers to the speaker together with one or more other people. It can work as a reflexive pronoun when the subject and object refer to the same people.
We reminded ourselves to check the schedule.
Here, we and ourselves refer to the same group.
It can also emphasize the subject:
We ourselves reviewed every application.
Another common use appears with by to mean without help:
We built the website by ourselves.
These uses are part of normal English grammar.
Ourself has a different and much narrower profile. Collins records it in American English as a form corresponding to ourselves that can be used by one person referring to himself or herself as we, particularly in a royal or formal style. Oxford also records ourself, but labels it nonstandard in its broader definition.
That means context matters. A sentence such as:
We prepared ourselves for the presentation.
is ordinary if we means several people.
A sentence using ourself requires a special reason for we to represent a singular speaker.
Tone, Context, and Formality
Ourselves is natural in everyday American English. You can use it in conversation, emails, school assignments, workplace communication, reports, and ordinary published writing.
Ourself is much more marked. It may sound formal, ceremonial, historical, or unusual to a modern reader. In some contexts, it may simply look like an error.
There is an important distinction between formal and correct for every formal situation. Making a sentence sound more official does not automatically make ourself appropriate.
For example:
We consider ourselves responsible for the final decision.
sounds natural in professional writing.
Replacing ourselves with ourself would not automatically make the sentence more formal. It would change the grammatical interpretation and could distract readers.
Which One Should You Use?
For most US English situations, choose ourselves.
Use ourselves when:
- we means the speaker and other people;
- the action returns to the same group;
- you want to emphasize that the group performed the action;
- you are writing an email, report, assignment, article, or ordinary business message.
Examples:
We reminded ourselves to save a copy.
We introduced ourselves to the new manager.
We completed the repairs ourselves.
Consider ourself only when the sentence deliberately uses we for one person in a specialized context and that style is appropriate.
If you are simply wondering which form belongs in an ordinary sentence with we, ourselves is the practical choice.
When One Choice Sounds Wrong
Ourself usually sounds wrong when ordinary plural we is clearly involved.
For example:
We enjoyed ourself at the concert.
For a group of people, the natural form is:
We enjoyed ourselves at the concert.
Likewise:
We prepared ourself for the interview.
should normally be:
We prepared ourselves for the interview.
The problem is not that ourself never exists. The problem is using a specialized form where the ordinary plural reflexive is required.
This distinction explains why both words can appear in dictionaries while still having very different practical usefulness.
Common Mistakes (and Quick Fixes)
Mistake: We taught ourself how to code.
Fix: We taught ourselves how to code.
Mistake: We congratulated ourself after the win.
Fix: We congratulated ourselves after the win.
Mistake: We completed the presentation ourself.
Fix: We completed the presentation ourselves.
Mistake: Assuming ourself is always wrong.
Fix: Recognize that the word exists, but its use is specialized and much less common.
Mistake: Assuming ourself is simply a more formal version of ourselves.
Fix: Choose based on the meaning of we, not on the level of formality you want to create.
Everyday Examples
Here are natural examples for modern US English:
Reflexive use
We reminded ourselves to bring our ID cards.
The two roommates bought themselves new desks.
We gave ourselves enough time to finish the project.
Emphatic use
We ourselves checked every number before submitting the report.
We built the furniture ourselves.
Without outside help
We organized the event by ourselves.
After the training, we handled the installation by ourselves.
Specialized singular-we use
The speaker used ourself while referring to one person through a formal we.
That final type is uncommon in ordinary American communication. It is mainly useful when the special form of we is itself part of the intended style.
Dictionary-Style Word Details
Verb
- Ourselves: Not a verb. It is a pronoun used reflexively or emphatically.
- Ourself: Not a verb. It is also a pronoun.
Neither word should be treated as an action word.
Noun
- Ourselves: Not normally a noun. It is a pronoun, although related expressions can refer to people’s usual or true selves.
- Ourself: Not normally a noun. Its dictionary uses are pronominal.
Synonyms
- Ourselves: Closest plain alternatives depend on the sentence. Expressions such as we ourselves, us personally, or without help may convey parts of its meaning, but they are not exact replacements in every sentence.
- Ourself: No broadly interchangeable everyday synonym exists. In a specialized singular-we context, myself may express the underlying singular meaning if the sentence is rewritten using I.
Example Sentences
Ourselves:
We introduced ourselves before the workshop began.
We fixed the problem ourselves.
Ourself:
In the formal statement, the speaker referred to ourself as the responsible party.
The second example depends on a deliberate singular use of we, so it is not an ordinary substitute for ourselves.
Word History
Both forms have a long history in English. Collins traces ourself to Middle English oure self. Modern dictionaries preserve the form, but their usage descriptions show that its present-day role is much narrower than that of ourselves.
The safest modern conclusion is therefore about current usage, not a rigid historical rule: ourselves is the normal form for ordinary plural we, while ourself survives in specialized contexts.
Phrases Containing
Ourselves commonly appears in expressions such as:
- by ourselves — without help or without other people
- to ourselves — for our exclusive use
- we ourselves — with emphasis
- enjoy ourselves — have an enjoyable experience
- teach ourselves — learn without another person directly teaching us
Ourself does not have a comparable set of common everyday expressions. Its appearances are mainly tied to its specialized grammatical use.
FAQs
Is “ourselves” or “ourself” correct?
Ourselves is the normal choice when we refers to the speaker and other people. Ourself is also a documented word, but it has specialized uses and is sometimes labeled nonstandard. For ordinary American English, use ourselves.
Is “ourself” a real English word?
Yes, ourself is a real dictionary-listed word. Its existence does not mean it works like ourselves in ordinary sentences. Dictionaries describe specialized singular uses of we and also identify some broader uses as nonstandard.
Can “ourself” replace “ourselves”?
Usually, no. If we refers to two or more people, ourselves is the expected reflexive form. Replacing it with ourself can make an otherwise normal sentence sound unusual or incorrect to readers.
Why is “ourselves” the normal choice with “we”?
Ourselves is the established first-person plural reflexive form. When we refers to the speaker plus at least one other person, the reflexive pronoun normally refers back to that same group.
Can “ourself” be used in formal writing?
It can appear in specialized formal contexts, especially when one person uses we instead of I. However, formality alone does not make ourself appropriate. Ordinary professional writing normally uses ourselves when the subject is plural.
Should I use “ourself” in everyday American English?
Generally, no. Use ourselves in normal conversation, schoolwork, workplace writing, and everyday communication. Consider ourself only when a deliberate specialized use of singular we makes that form appropriate.
Conclusion
Ourselves is the standard choice for ordinary modern American English when we refers to the speaker and one or more other people.
Ourself is a real but much more limited pronoun. It can appear when we represents one person in a specialized formal or royal-style context, while some dictionaries label broader uses nonstandard.
So the practical rule is simple: if you are writing an ordinary sentence with plural “we,” choose “ourselves.” Use ourself only when the sentence has a specific reason to use singular we.
