Quick answer: “Ourselves” is the correct reflexive pronoun in modern English when referring to a group of people that includes the speaker. “Ourself” is archaic and only appears in very specific contexts like the royal “we” or when a singular entity uses “our” instead of “my.”
These two words trip up even experienced writers because they look nearly identical and both relate to the first-person plural. The confusion stems from understanding when English requires plural versus singular reflexive forms, and whether “our” always demands a plural ending.
| Term | Meaning / When to use | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|
| Ourselves | Standard reflexive pronoun for “we/us” when the subject and object are the same group of multiple people | “We prepared ourselves for the long meeting ahead.” |
| Ourself | Archaic or specialized form used only with the royal “we” or when a singular person uses “our” instead of “my” | “The monarch addressed ourself to the duties of the crown.” (archaic) |
When to use ourselves
“Ourselves” is the reflexive pronoun you’ll use in 99.9% of modern writing and speech. According to Wikipedia’s entry on “Ourselves”, this is the standard plural reflexive form that corresponds to the first-person plural pronouns “we” and “us.”
Use “ourselves” when:
- The subject is “we” (multiple people including the speaker)
- The action reflects back on that same group
- You’re emphasizing that the group did something independently or without help
Here are three real-world examples I’ve corrected in my years as an editor:
Email mistake: “We need to ask ourself some hard questions about this project.”
Correction: “We need to ask ourselves some hard questions about this project.”
Resume error: “We challenged ourself to exceed quarterly targets.”
Correction: “We challenged ourselves to exceed quarterly targets.”
Text message slip: “Let’s treat ourself to dinner tonight!”
Correction: “Let’s treat ourselves to dinner tonight!”
The rule is straightforward: if you’re talking about a group that includes you, and that group is both doing the action and receiving the action, use “ourselves.”
Consider these correct examples:
- “We taught ourselves how to code during the pandemic.”
- “We should be proud of ourselves for finishing the marathon.”
- “We found ourselves lost in the old part of the city.”
Each sentence shows a group (we) performing an action that affects that same group. The reflexive pronoun “ourselves” makes that connection clear.
When to use ourself
“Ourself” exists, but you’ll almost never need it in contemporary English. This form appears primarily in two narrow contexts that most writers will never encounter.
First, “ourself” shows up in historical or literary texts using the royal “we” (also called the majestic plural). When a monarch or person of high authority refers to themselves using “we” instead of “I,” the reflexive form becomes “ourself” rather than “ourselves” because it’s actually referring to one person.
Second, “ourself” can appear when a singular entity—like a company, organization, or collective noun—uses “our” instead of “my” or “its.” This is rare and often sounds stilted to modern readers.
According to Wikipedia’s entry on “Ourself”, this form is considered archaic in most contexts and has largely fallen out of use except in these specialized situations.
Here’s what correct usage looks like (though you should generally avoid it):
Royal “we” example: “We have decided to grant this pardon by ourself.” (A monarch speaking)
Singular entity example: “Our company prides ourself on customer service.” (Technically acceptable but awkward)
In my editing career spanning over a decade, I’ve corrected “ourself” to “ourselves” more times than I can count—usually because the writer mistakenly thought “our” always pairs with “ourself” the way “my” pairs with “myself.” That’s not how it works. The number of people matters, not just the possessive form.
If you’re writing modern business copy, academic papers, fiction, or everyday communication, you should use “ourselves.” Reserve “ourself” only if you’re writing historical fiction about royalty or deliberately adopting an archaic style.
How to remember the difference
Here’s the memory trick that’s saved my students and clients from this error countless times: Count the people.
If “we” means more than one person (which it almost always does), you need the plural reflexive ending “-selves.” Think of it this way:
- Myself = one person (me)
- Yourself = one person (you singular)
- Himself/herself/itself = one person or thing
- Ourselves = multiple people (us)
- Yourselves = multiple people (you plural)
- Themselves = multiple people or things (them)
The “-selves” ending always signals plurality. If you can replace “we” with “they” or “you all,” you need “ourselves.”
Another trick: Say it out loud with a different pronoun. If you’re unsure whether to write “We prepared ourself” or “We prepared ourselves,” swap “we” with “they”:
- “They prepared themself” (sounds wrong, right?)
- “They prepared themselves” (sounds correct)
That same logic applies to “we.” The plural subject demands the plural reflexive form.
One editor-level insight I wish more writers knew: Don’t let the possessive fool you. The word “our” looks singular in form (no “s” at the end), but it represents a plural concept. Just because “our” doesn’t end in “s” doesn’t mean “ourself” is correct. The reflexive pronoun must match the number of people, not the spelling of the possessive.
Common mistakes and exceptions
The most common mistake I see is writers assuming that because “my” pairs with “myself” and “your” pairs with “yourself,” then “our” must pair with “ourself.” This logical pattern falls apart because English reflexive pronouns don’t work that way. The possessive adjective (“our”) and the reflexive pronoun (“ourselves”) follow different rules.
Mistake: “Our team congratulated ourself on the win.”
Why it’s wrong: “Team” might be singular in form, but “our” indicates multiple people are involved.
Fix: “Our team congratulated ourselves on the win.”
Another frequent error occurs when writers mix singular and plural subjects in compound constructions:
Mistake: “John and I need to ask ourself for more time.”
Why it’s wrong: “John and I” = two people = plural = “ourselves”
Fix: “John and I need to ask ourselves for more time.”
US vs. UK differences: There’s no meaningful difference between American and British English on this particular issue. Both varieties use “ourselves” as the standard reflexive pronoun and treat “ourself” as archaic or specialized. You won’t find this listed as a regional spelling variation like “color/colour” or “center/centre.”
Exception for singular “they”: Modern English increasingly accepts singular “they” for gender-neutral reference to one person. When this happens, some style guides accept “themself” as the reflexive form (though “themselves” remains more common). However, this doesn’t affect “ourselves/ourself” because “we” is inherently plural—you can’t have a singular “we” in standard usage.
Corporate “we”: When a single person speaks on behalf of a company (“We at Acme Corp believe…”), they still use “ourselves” because they’re representing multiple people (the company), not just themselves. The only time you’d use “ourself” here is if you’re deliberately invoking the royal “we” for stylistic effect, which sounds pompous in business writing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is “ourself” ever correct in modern English?
Only in extremely rare cases involving the royal “we” or when a singular entity deliberately uses “our” instead of “my.” For all practical modern writing, “ourself” is incorrect.
Why does “our” end without an “s” but “ourselves” ends with “selves”?
Because “our” is a possessive adjective and “ourselves” is a reflexive pronoun—they follow different grammatical rules. The reflexive form must match the number of people (plural), not the spelling of the possessive.
Can I use “ourself” if I’m the only one speaking for a group?
No. Even if you’re the sole spokesperson, “we” and “our” indicate multiple people, so you need “ourselves.” The reflexive pronoun reflects the number of people represented, not the number of people speaking.
What’s the difference between “ourselves” and “us”?
“Ourselves” is reflexive (the subject and object are the same: “We saw ourselves”), while “us” is a regular object pronoun (the subject and object are different: “They saw us”). Use “ourselves” when the group is doing something to itself.
Nathan Williams is a seasoned editor and writer with a passion for the subtleties of the English language. With a degree in English from NYU and more than 12 years of editorial experience, he has honed his expertise in spelling accuracy and the comparison of often-misused words. Nathan’s foray into language analysis was sparked by his desire to help others communicate more effectively and avoid common pitfalls in writing. At WordCompareHub, he crafts comprehensive guides and articles that discuss word usage distinctions and provide effective spelling strategies. Nathan is driven by the belief that clarity in language is key to effective communication. In his leisure time, he enjoys crosswords and participates in local word games, continually expanding his lexicon and sharpening his linguistic skills.