Ourselves vs Ourself: Which One Is Correct? (Easy Grammar Guide)

When you compare ourselves vs ourself, the main difference is number and usage. Ourselves is the normal reflexive pronoun used with a plural subject such as we or us. It is common in everyday English.

Ourself is much less common. It can appear when we refers to one person, especially in formal, royal, institutional, or historical language. It isn’t normally used in ordinary conversation.

Conversation example:

A: We should prepare ourselves for the meeting.
B: Yes. We need to organize everything ourselves.

For most modern writing, ourselves is the form you should choose when we refers to more than one person.

Definition of “Ourselves” and “Ourself”

Ourselves is a reflexive pronoun. It refers back to a plural subject represented by we. For example, in “We taught ourselves,” the word ourselves refers to we.

Ourself also works as a reflexive form of our. However, its use is highly restricted in modern English. It may appear when we refers to a single person speaking formally on behalf of an office or institution.

Common examples include:

• We prepared ourselves.
• We introduced ourselves.
• We blamed ourselves.
• The monarch referred to ourself in a formal statement.

Conversation example:

A: Did you finish the project yourselves?
B: Yes, we completed it ourselves.

A simple rule helps: use ourselves for ordinary plural we. Treat ourself as a special and uncommon form.

The Core Difference Between “Ourselves” and “Ourself”

The core difference is the number and meaning of the subject. Ourselves normally refers to two or more people represented by we. It is the standard modern reflexive pronoun.

Ourself can refer to one person represented by we. This unusual we is sometimes called the royal or editorial we. It appears in formal contexts where one person speaks using we.

Consider these examples:

• We introduced ourselves to the guests.
• We should remind ourselves about the deadline.
• The king may refer to ourself in a formal declaration.

Conversation example:

Teacher: Who cleaned the classroom?
Students: We cleaned it ourselves.

Here, several students are involved, so ourselves is correct.

The important point is that ourself isn’t simply a shorter version of ourselves. The two forms serve different grammatical situations.

Comparison Table: “Ourselves” vs “Ourself”

Feature	Ourselves	Ourself
Number	Usually plural	Usually singular with formal we
Basic subject	We	We referring to one person
Modern use	Very common	Rare
Everyday conversation	Natural	Usually unnatural
Reflexive use	Yes	Yes
Professional writing	Normal	Only in specific contexts
Royal usage	Possible, but not typical for singular royal we	Traditional
Literary use	Common	Uncommon
General recommendation	Use normally	Use only when context requires it

The comparison makes the difference easier to see. Ourselves belongs to normal modern English. You use it when we means several people.

Ourself has a narrower role. It can appear when a singular speaker uses we as a formal or institutional pronoun.

Example:

We completed the work ourselves.

This sentence clearly refers to multiple people.

In contrast, a formal speaker might write:

We have decided to represent ourself in this matter.

That second structure is unusual and depends heavily on context.

Historical Evolution of “Ourself” and “Ourselves”

The difference between ourself and ourselves becomes clearer when you look at the history of English. Reflexive pronouns did not always follow exactly the patterns used today.

English developed different combinations of personal pronouns and words related to self. Over time, plural forms became more standardized.

The form ourselves eventually became the ordinary reflexive form connected with plural we. Ourself survived in narrower environments where we could represent one person.

Historical language often preserves forms that modern speakers rarely use.

For example:

• Older formal documents may use unusual reflexive constructions.
• Royal language helped preserve singular we.
• Legal and institutional writing sometimes retained traditional wording.

Today, English speakers generally expect ourselves when we represents several people.

Old English Roots

Modern English reflexive pronouns developed gradually. Old English did not have exactly the same reflexive system used today.

Speakers often used personal pronouns together with forms related to self. These combinations changed as English developed.

Over many centuries, English became more regular in its use of reflexive pronouns.

The historical development can be simplified like this:

• Old English had different pronoun patterns.
• Middle English introduced changing self constructions.
• Later English standardized many reflexive forms.
• Modern English settled on forms such as myself, yourself, ourselves, and themselves.

Example:

Older forms could differ from the English you use today.

This history explains why unusual forms can survive even when they aren’t common in everyday speech.

The Singular Reflexive “Ourself”

Ourself developed as a singular reflexive form connected with the use of we for one person.

This use is unusual because we normally suggests more than one person. However, English has sometimes used we to represent one person with authority.

This is known as the royal we or, in some contexts, an institutional we.

For example:

We have decided that ourself will oversee the matter.

The sentence sounds formal and unusual to most modern readers. That’s intentional. The speaker is using we in a special way.

The form ourself therefore has a historical connection to special uses of we. It isn’t the everyday singular equivalent of ourselves.

Modern Decline

Modern English strongly favors ourselves when we refers to multiple people.

As everyday language became less formal, special uses of ourself became increasingly uncommon. Most speakers don’t need it in ordinary conversation.

You are much more likely to see:

• We taught ourselves.
• We organized ourselves.
• We introduced ourselves.

You may occasionally encounter ourself in:

• Royal statements
• Historical texts
• Formal institutional language
• Legal or ceremonial documents
• Literary writing

The decline doesn’t mean the word has disappeared. It means its normal range of use has become very narrow.

For everyday writing, ourselves is almost always the safer choice when the subject is plural.

Linguistic Insight: Reflexive Pronouns in English

Reflexive pronouns usually point back to the subject of a sentence. They show that the subject and the object refer to the same person or people.

Common English reflexive pronouns include:

• Myself
• Yourself
• Himself
• Herself
• Itself
• Ourselves
• Yourselves
• Themselves

Consider:

We prepared ourselves.

The subject is we. The reflexive pronoun is ourselves. Both refer to the same people.

Without the reflexive pronoun, the meaning may change:

We prepared the students.

Now we and the students are different groups.

Conversation example:

A: Who taught you French?
B: We taught ourselves.

Reflexive pronouns can also add emphasis:

We ourselves designed the website.

Here, ourselves emphasizes who performed the action.

The Royal “We”: Why Monarchs Say “Ourself”

The royal we is a traditional way for a monarch or another highly formal speaker to refer to themselves using we instead of I.

Because the subject is grammatically we but can represent one person, a reflexive form such as ourself may appear in traditional language.

This construction emphasizes the speaker’s public role rather than ordinary personal identity.

For example:

We have considered the matter ourself.

This sounds ceremonial and old-fashioned to most modern readers.

It isn’t how most people speak.

Conversation example:

Person A: Why does the statement say “we”?
Person B: It uses the traditional royal or formal we.

The key point is context. Don’t copy royal usage into normal everyday writing simply because you see it in historical or ceremonial language.

The Editorial and Institutional “We”

A singular speaker can sometimes use we when speaking for an institution, organization, publication, or office. This is different from ordinary plural we.

For example, a publication might write:

We have reviewed the evidence.

Here, we can represent an editorial team or organization. Several people may actually be involved.

In other contexts, one official may use we to represent an institution.

This can create unusual reflexive constructions. Ourself may appear when the institutional we is treated as singular.

However, ourselves is still common when the speaker means multiple people.

Example:

We should ask ourselves whether the policy works.

Here, several people are included.

The best approach is to look at what we actually represents.

Ask:

• Does we mean several people?
• Does we represent one formal speaker?
• Is the wording ceremonial or institutional?

That answer will guide your choice.

Modern English Usage: When Only “Ourselves” Works

In ordinary modern English, ourselves is the correct reflexive pronoun when we refers to multiple people.

You shouldn’t replace it with ourself just to make a sentence sound formal.

For example:

We enjoyed ourselves at the party.

This is natural.

We enjoyed ourself at the party.

This sounds incorrect because the subject clearly refers to several people.

The same rule applies to many everyday situations.

Examples

Here are several natural examples:

• We introduced ourselves to the new teacher.
• We should remind ourselves about the appointment.
• We prepared ourselves for the competition.
• We bought ourselves some snacks.
• We taught ourselves how to use the software.

Conversation example:

A: Did you organize the event?
B: Yes, we organized it ourselves.

In every example, we refers to more than one person.

Grammar Tip

Here’s a quick grammar tip: plural we normally takes ourselves.

Think of the pattern:

• I → myself
• You → yourself
• He → himself
• She → herself
• We → ourselves
• They → themselves

This pattern works in most modern English sentences.

If you write a normal email, essay, message, report, or conversation, choose ourselves when we refers to multiple people.

Use ourself only when the special context genuinely requires it.

When “Ourself” Still Appears — Rare but Real

Ourself hasn’t completely disappeared from English. It still appears in certain formal, historical, royal, legal, and institutional contexts.

Its rarity is important. A word can be grammatically possible without being natural in ordinary conversation.

For example:

We have decided to speak for ourself.

This could make sense if we refers to one formal speaker. However, most readers would find it unusual.

In everyday English, a speaker would normally say:

I have decided to speak for myself.

The special use of ourself usually depends on the unusual use of we.

Modern Example from Official Context

Official or ceremonial language can preserve older grammatical patterns. In such settings, ourself may appear because the writer follows a traditional style.

A useful way to understand it is:

I → myself
Singular formal we → ourself
Plural we → ourselves

The middle pattern is rare.

If you see ourself in an official document, don’t automatically assume it is a spelling mistake. First check what we represents.

At the same time, don’t assume that official wording is suitable for ordinary English.

Context determines correctness.

“Ourselves” and “Ourself” in Literature and Speech

Literature often preserves language that sounds unusual today. Writers may use ourself to create a historical, royal, formal, or dramatic voice.

Ourselves, however, appears naturally in both literature and everyday speech.

For example:

We found ourselves standing alone.

This is ordinary modern English.

A historical character might say:

We shall answer for ourself.

The second sentence creates a more formal voice.

Authors may deliberately choose unusual grammar to reflect:

• Historical periods
• Social status
• Royal authority
• Institutional identity
• Formal speech
• Character voice

Conversation example:

Reader: Why does the character say “ourself”?
Teacher: The writer may be showing that the character uses a formal or royal we.

So, literary usage doesn’t automatically establish everyday grammar. Fiction can preserve or imitate older styles for effect.

Common Misconceptions and Grammar Myths

Several myths make ourselves vs ourself confusing. The biggest mistake is treating the two words as interchangeable.

They aren’t interchangeable in ordinary modern English.

Another common mistake is assuming that a rare word must be wrong. Ourself has legitimate historical and formal uses.

At the same time, seeing it in a formal document doesn’t mean you should use it everywhere.

Remember:

• Ourselves is standard for plural we.
• Ourself has specialized uses.
• Context determines whether ourself makes sense.
• Royal or institutional language can behave differently.
• Everyday writing usually favors simpler modern forms.

Myth 1: “Ourself” Is Always Incorrect

Ourself isn’t always incorrect. It has a legitimate but limited role.

It can appear when we refers to one person in a formal or traditional construction.

For example:

We shall defend ourself against the accusation.

This sounds unusual, but the unusual we changes the situation.

In ordinary plural English, however, the correct form is ourselves.

Compare:

We defended ourselves.

Here, several people are involved.

A useful rule is:

Rare doesn’t mean automatically wrong.

Words can survive in specific contexts even after they become uncommon in everyday speech.

Myth 2: “Ourselves” Can Be Singular

Ourselves normally isn’t a singular reflexive pronoun.

If one person says:

I prepared ourselves.

the sentence is grammatically inconsistent in ordinary English.

A singular speaker normally says:

I prepared myself.

For a plural subject:

We prepared ourselves.

This distinction follows the basic subject-pronoun pattern.

Conversation example:

A: Did you prepare everything yourself?
B: Yes, I prepared everything myself.

If several people are speaking:

A: Did you prepare everything yourselves?
B: Yes, we prepared everything ourselves.

Number matters.

Myth 3: They’re Interchangeable

Ourselves and ourself aren’t interchangeable.

They can both function as reflexive forms connected with our, but they don’t normally appear in the same situations.

Compare:

We introduced ourselves.

This is normal.

We introduced ourself.

This sounds unusual unless we has a special singular meaning.

Using ourself in ordinary plural sentences can make your writing sound awkward or incorrect.

The safest approach is simple:

• Plural we → ourselves
• Singular formal we → ourself in specialized contexts
• Singular ordinary I → myself

Context should always guide your choice.

Myth 4: “Ourself” Is Old English Only

Ourself has historical roots, but calling it “Old English only” is inaccurate.

It can still appear in modern English. Its modern use is simply rare.

You may encounter it in:

• Ceremonial language
• Royal language
• Legal writing
• Institutional statements
• Historical writing
• Literary dialogue

The important distinction is between possible and common.

A word can remain grammatically meaningful while becoming uncommon.

That’s exactly what happened with many specialized forms of English.

How to Choose the Right Form Every Time

Choosing between ourselves and ourself becomes easy when you identify what we means.

Start with the subject.

If we means two or more people, use ourselves.

We taught ourselves.

If we refers to one person using a special formal or royal construction, ourself may be appropriate.

We shall answer for ourself.

For ordinary singular speech, don’t use either one. Use myself with I.

I taught myself.

Quick Mnemonic

Use this simple memory trick:

“Many we, ourselves. Special one we, ourself.”

You can also remember the basic pattern:

I → myself
We → ourselves

Only think about ourself when we has a special singular meaning.

This keeps the rule practical instead of complicated.

Practical Grammar Tips

You don’t need to memorize every historical detail to use these pronouns correctly.

Follow a few simple habits:

• Look at the subject first.
• Identify whether we means one person or several.
• Use ourselves for normal plural we.
• Use ourself only in specialized contexts.
• Don’t use rare grammar simply to sound formal.
• Read the sentence aloud before submitting it.

Conversation example:

A: Which sounds natural: “We prepared ourself” or “We prepared ourselves”?
B: “We prepared ourselves” if we means several people.

For school, business, websites, emails, and general professional writing, modern standard English is usually the goal.

That means ourselves will be your normal choice.

When you see ourself, check the context rather than correcting it automatically.

Case Study: Real-World Application

Imagine a team of three employees preparing a presentation.

One employee says:

We prepared ourselves for the presentation.

The grammar is natural because we refers to several people.

Now imagine a historical monarch speaking formally:

We have considered the matter ourself.

The second sentence belongs to a very different context. Here, we can represent one monarch using formal royal language.

This comparison shows why context matters.

Workplace example:

Manager: Did you train yourselves for the presentation?
Team: Yes, we trained ourselves.

Formal historical example:

Speaker: We shall decide the matter ourself.

The first example is normal modern English. The second uses a specialized construction.

The lesson is simple: don’t judge the pronoun separately from its subject and context.

Self-Assessment Quiz

Test your understanding with these sentences. Choose ourselves, ourself, or another reflexive pronoun.

1. We completed the project by ______.
2. We introduced ______ to the guests.
3. I reminded ______ to check the email.
4. The monarch referred to ______ in the formal statement.
5. We taught ______ how to use the program.
6. She prepared ______ for the interview.

Answers:

1. ourselves
2. ourselves
3. myself
4. ourself
5. ourselves
6. herself

The fourth sentence is the special case. The others follow ordinary modern English patterns.

Quick test:

If we clearly means several people, choose ourselves.

That single rule will solve most everyday examples.

Summary Table: Quick Reference

Situation	Correct Form	Example
Several people	Ourselves	We taught ourselves.
Normal plural reflexive	Ourselves	We introduced ourselves.
Singular ordinary speaker	Myself	I taught myself.
Singular formal we	Ourself	We shall answer for ourself.
Royal language	Ourself may occur	Formal royal usage
Everyday writing	Ourselves	We prepared ourselves.
Literary historical voice	Context-dependent	The character spoke formally.

The main takeaway is that ourselves is the normal modern form for plural we.

Ourself has a much narrower role. It can be correct when we refers to one person in a formal or traditional construction.

When you’re unsure, identify the subject before choosing the reflexive pronoun.

That small step prevents most mistakes.

Final Thoughts

The difference between ourselves vs ourself is mainly about number, context, and the special uses of we.

Ourselves is the standard reflexive pronoun for ordinary plural we. You can use it confidently in conversation, school writing, professional communication, and most other situations.

Ourself is much rarer. It survives in formal, royal, institutional, historical, legal, and literary contexts where we may represent one person.

Think about the sentence before choosing the word.

If several people are acting, ourselves is normally correct. If one formal speaker uses we, ourself may appear. For ordinary singular I, use myself.

Once you understand that pattern, ourselves vs ourself becomes much easier to remember.

FAQs

What is the difference between “ourselves” and “ourself”?

Ourselves is the normal reflexive pronoun for plural we. Ourself is rare and may appear when singular we has a formal or royal meaning.

Example:

We prepared ourselves.

Is “ourself” grammatically correct?

Yes, ourself can be grammatically correct in specific contexts. It is uncommon in modern everyday English and usually appears with a special singular use of we.

Can I use “ourselves” for a singular subject?

Normally, no. Ourselves refers to plural we. A normal singular speaker should use myself with I.

I prepared myself.

Why do monarchs use “ourself”?

Traditional royal language sometimes uses we to represent one monarch. Because this we is singular in meaning, ourself can appear as its reflexive form.

Which form should I use in professional writing?

Use ourselves when we refers to several people. Use ourself only when the specific formal context requires singular we.

Is “ourself” used in modern English today?

Yes, but it is rare. It can still appear in formal, ceremonial, institutional, legal, royal, historical, or literary language.

Are reflexive pronouns always necessary?

No. Reflexive pronouns are necessary when the action returns to the subject or when they provide emphasis.

We washed ourselves.

But:

We washed the car.

The object determines the meaning.

What are other examples of reflexive pronouns?

Common reflexive pronouns include myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, yourselves, and themselves.

Each normally connects back to the subject.

Can reflexive pronouns emphasize a subject?

Yes. Reflexive pronouns can add emphasis.

We ourselves designed the website.

Here, ourselves emphasizes that we, rather than someone else, performed the action.

How can beginners avoid this grammar mistake?

Start by identifying the subject. If the subject is normal plural we, use ourselves.

Remember:

We → ourselves.

Only consider ourself when the context clearly uses singular we.

What happens if I misuse “ourself”?

Your sentence may sound unnatural, confusing, or overly formal. In everyday English, readers generally expect ourselves after plural we.

Can “ourselves” be used in literary writing?

Yes. Ourselves is completely normal in literature and can appear in dialogue, narration, poetry, and other creative writing.

Is “ourself” acceptable in British English?

It can be acceptable in specialized British English contexts, especially formal, royal, historical, or institutional language. It isn’t the normal plural reflexive form.

Do reflexive pronouns affect sentence meaning?

Yes. They can show who receives an action or emphasize who performs it.

Compare:

We blamed ourselves.

with:

We blamed them.

The objects refer to different people.

Can “ourselves” be replaced with “themselves”?

Not automatically. The pronoun must agree with the subject.

We prepared ourselves.

They prepared themselves.

Changing the reflexive pronoun changes who the sentence refers to.

Are there exceptions to the rule?

There are special contexts involving royal, institutional, historical, legal, and literary language. These contexts can use unusual forms such as ourself.

Can “ourself” be used in legal documents?

It can appear in specialized formal or historical legal language, especially when a singular authority uses we. However, modern legal writing usually follows the style required by its jurisdiction and document.

How do I teach this to beginners?

Start with the basic subject pattern:

• I → myself
• You → yourself
• He → himself
• She → herself
• We → ourselves
• They → themselves

Then introduce ourself as a rare special form rather than a normal alternative to ourselves.