Ourselves vs. Our Selves – Which is Correct?

Ourselves is the standard one-word reflexive pronoun, used when “we” refers back to the same people; “our selves” is also grammatical, but it means our individual inner identities or persons and is less common. Use ourselves for reflexive meaning; use our selves for emphasis or contrast between body and identity.

Ourselves or Our Selves – Which is Correct?

Both ourselves and our selves are correct, but they serve different grammatical purposes. Ourselves is a reflexive or emphatic pronoun referring to “we” or “us.” It is the form you need in ordinary sentences such as “We prepared ourselves.”

Our selves consists of the possessive determiner our and the plural noun selves. It usually refers to people’s inner identities, personalities, or individual beings. This phrase often appears in philosophical, psychological, spiritual, or highly reflective writing.

The Best Trick to Remember the Difference

Use the “we” test: if the sentence means “we” or “us doing something to or for the same people,” write ourselves as one word. If selves means separate identities or inner persons and could be modified by an adjective such as true, inner, or future, write our selves as two words.

Compare these sentences: “We introduced ourselves” uses the reflexive pronoun, while “We must reconnect with our true selves” refers to inner identities.

Word	Part of Speech	Meaning	Example
ourselves	Reflexive or emphatic pronoun	We or us referring back to the same people	We organized the event ourselves.
our selves	Possessive determiner plus plural noun	Our individual identities or inner persons	The experience challenged our selves.

How to Use Ourselves

Ourselves is the first-person plural reflexive pronoun. Use it when the subject and object of a sentence refer to the same group. It can also add emphasis, especially after we or when placed at the end of a sentence. The word is standard in formal, academic, professional, and casual English.

Example 1: We reminded ourselves to check the figures before submitting the report.

Example 2: We built the garden shed ourselves.

Example 3: We should be proud of ourselves for completing the project on time.

What are the different forms of Ourselves?

Ourselves does not have verb tenses or comparative forms, but it belongs to a set of related personal pronouns. The subject form is we, the object form is us, the possessive determiner is our, and the possessive pronoun is ours. The corresponding reflexive form is ourselves.

• We: We completed the assignment.
• Us: The teacher congratulated us.
• Our: Our presentation was successful.
• Ours: The final decision was ours.
• Ourselves: We prepared ourselves carefully.

Etymology of the Word Ourselves

Ourselves developed by combining our, the possessive form related to we, with selves, the plural of self. English has used similar compound reflexive forms for centuries. The ending -selves distinguishes plural reflexive pronouns such as ourselves, yourselves, and themselves from singular forms such as myself and yourself.

How to Use Our Selves

Our selves is a noun phrase rather than a reflexive pronoun. In this phrase, our shows possession and selves is the plural noun. It emphasizes the different identities, personalities, or inner aspects belonging to the members of a group.

This two-word form is less common than ourselves and can sound unusual in everyday conversation. It is most natural when selves is qualified by an adjective or contrasted with another part of a person, such as the body, public image, or social role.

Example 1: The retreat encouraged us to reconnect with our inner selves.

Example 2: As performers, we had to distinguish our public selves from our private selves.

Example 3: The memoir explores how our younger selves shaped our adult choices.

What are the different forms of Our Selves?

The phrase our selves contains the plural noun selves, which is the irregular plural of self. The singular form is self, as in “my inner self.” The plural form changes the ending from -f to -ves: self becomes selves.

• Singular: self — She discovered her authentic self.
• Plural: selves — We examined our different selves.

The determiner changes according to the owner: my self, your self, his self, her self, our selves, and their selves. However, some of these combinations are uncommon outside specialized or deliberately reflective writing.

Etymology of the Words Our Selves

Our comes from Old English forms related to possession by more than one speaker. Self comes from Old English self, meaning one’s own person or individual identity. The plural selves developed through the historical change of f to a voiced v sound in certain plural forms, as also seen in knife/knives and wife/wives.

Related Concepts

Understanding reflexive pronouns and possessive noun phrases makes the difference between ourselves and our selves easier to recognize.

• Reflexive pronouns: Reflexive pronouns refer back to the subject of a clause. Examples include myself, yourself, himself, herself, ourselves, and themselves.
• Possessive determiners: Words such as my, your, our, and their come before nouns to show possession. In our selves, our modifies the noun selves.
• Compound words: A compound word combines elements into one lexical unit. Ourselves is conventionally written as one word, while our selves remains a phrase with two separate words.
• Irregular plurals: The noun self has the irregular plural selves, not selfs.

Examples from Media and Literature

The one-word form is common in ordinary dialogue, narration, journalism, and nonfiction. The two-word form usually appears when authors discuss identity, transformation, or the contrast between different versions of a person.

• Memoirs: An author may write that “we discovered ourselves” after describing a journey, using ourselves as a reflexive pronoun.
• Psychological writing: A discussion of personal growth may refer to “our inner selves,” where our selves means the members of a group’s inner identities.
• News reports: A quoted official might say, “We must hold ourselves accountable,” using the standard reflexive form.
• Coming-of-age novels: Characters may reflect on “our younger selves” when comparing their present identities with who they were in the past.
• Film dialogue: A group might say, “We made the decision ourselves,” while a dramatic monologue might explore the conflict between “our public selves” and “our private selves.”

Practice Exercises

Choose the correct word or phrase to complete each sentence.

1. We taught ________ how to use the new software.
2. The workshop helped us understand our ________ more clearly.
3. We completed the entire renovation ________.
4. The novel contrasts the characters’ public ________ with their private identities.
5. We promised ________ that we would stay calm.

Answer Key

1. ourselves — It refers back to the subject we.
2. selves — The phrase is our selves, referring to inner identities.
3. ourselves — It emphasizes that we completed the renovation without outside help.
4. selves — The phrase is public selves, referring to identities or personas.
5. ourselves — It is a reflexive pronoun referring back to we.

Ourselves Synonyms

Synonym	Definition
us	The objective pronoun referring to the speaker and at least one other person.
we personally	An emphatic expression meaning that we, rather than someone else, performed an action.
without assistance	A phrase that can express the emphatic meaning of doing something ourselves.
independently	An adverb meaning without help from others.

Our Selves Synonyms

Synonym	Definition
our identities	The characteristics and qualities that define members of a group.
our inner beings	The private emotional or psychological aspects of members of a group.
our personas	The roles or outward personalities presented to other people.
our individual selves	The separate personalities or identities within a group.

Frequently Asked Questions

Question 1: Is “ourselves” always one word?
When it is the reflexive pronoun meaning “we” or “us,” ourselves is written as one word. For example, “We introduced ourselves.”

Question 2: Is “our selves” grammatically correct?
Yes. Our selves is grammatically correct when selves is a plural noun meaning individual identities or inner persons. It is less common and usually requires a context involving identity or self-reflection.

Question 3: Should I write “We did it our selves”?
No. The correct sentence is “We did it ourselves.” Here, the word emphasizes that we completed the action without assistance.

Question 4: What is the difference between “ourselves” and “our inner selves”?
Ourselves is a general reflexive pronoun. Our inner selves refers specifically to the private thoughts, feelings, or identities of the people in a group.

Conclusion

Ourselves is the correct choice for ordinary reflexive or emphatic uses, such as “We prepared ourselves” or “We completed the work ourselves.” Use our selves only when referring to separate identities, personalities, or inner beings, especially in phrases such as “our true selves” or “our younger selves.” Pro Tip: Choosing the precise form strengthens your clarity and protects your professional reputation.