Themself vs. Theirself – Which is Correct?
Themself is the standard singular reflexive form of the pronoun they in many modern American English contexts. Use it when they refers to one person whose gender is unknown, irrelevant, or nonbinary. Theirself is generally considered nonstandard and should be avoided in formal writing. Choose themself for clarity and acceptance.
Themself or Theirself – Which Is Correct?
Themself is the preferred spelling when a singular they pronoun needs a reflexive form. For example, “Jordan blamed themself for the mistake.” It refers to one person and functions similarly to himself or herself.
Theirself is generally considered nonstandard in contemporary standard American English. It may appear in informal speech, regional dialects, older writing, or as a natural extension of their plus self, but it is not usually recommended in formal or edited writing. The confusion probably comes from pairing the possessive form their with the noun self.
The Best Trick to Remember the Difference
Use the swap test: replace singular they with he or she. If the sentence would use himself or herself, choose themself. For example, “Alex prepared himself,” “Alex prepared herself,” and “Alex prepared themself.” Avoid building the word from their; standard English uses themself in this singular construction.
| Word | Part of Speech | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| themself | Reflexive pronoun | Refers back to one person represented by singular they | Taylor introduced themself to the group. |
| theirself | Nonstandard reflexive form | A dialectal or informal variant generally avoided in formal writing | Use “Taylor introduced themself” in edited writing. |
How to Use Themself
Themself is a singular reflexive pronoun. It refers back to a singular noun or pronoun represented by they. It can be used when a person’s gender is unknown, when gender is not relevant, or when a person uses singular they pronouns. The word is increasingly common in inclusive, professional, educational, and general writing.
Traditionally, many writers used themselves with singular they, as in “Someone should make themselves available.” That form remains widely accepted, but themself makes the singular meaning especially clear.
Example 1: Every applicant should ask themself whether the position is a good fit.
Example 2: Morgan reminded themself to send the report before noon.
Example 3: If a customer wants assistance, they can introduce themself at the service desk.
Etymology of the Word Themself
Themself combines the object pronoun them with self. The plural reflexive themselves has a long history in English, while themself has been used in various dialects and contexts for centuries. Its modern visibility has increased because singular they is widely used as a gender-neutral pronoun.
Related Concepts
Understanding reflexive pronouns and singular they makes the difference between themself and theirself easier to recognize.
- Singular they: Singular they refers to one person without specifying gender. For example, “A student left their notebook, so they may return for it.”
- Reflexive pronouns: Reflexive pronouns refer back to the subject of a sentence. Examples include myself, yourself, himself, herself, themself, and themselves.
- Possessive determiners: Their shows possession, as in “their book.” It does not normally form the standard singular reflexive pronoun by adding self.
- Number agreement: Themself emphasizes one person, while themselves traditionally refers to multiple people. In actual usage, both may appear with singular they, depending on the writer’s style and audience.
Examples from Media and Literature
Singular they and its reflexive forms appear across contemporary journalism, publishing, entertainment, and everyday public communication. The following examples illustrate natural contexts for themself without presenting them as quotations from specific works.
- News reporting: A report about an unidentified witness may state that the witness introduced themself to investigators.
- Contemporary fiction: A novel may describe a character reflecting on whether they had been honest with themself.
- Film and television: Dialogue may show a character saying that someone needs to take care of themself.
- Workplace communication: An employee handbook may advise each employee to ask themself whether a decision follows company policy.
- Personal essays: A writer may explain that they allowed themself time to recover after a difficult experience.
Themself Synonyms
| Synonym | Definition |
|---|---|
| the individual | A neutral noun phrase referring to one person |
| that person | A gender-neutral phrase for a specific individual |
| personally | An adverb that can sometimes replace a reflexive construction |
| on their own | A phrase meaning without help or independently |
Frequently Asked Questions
Question 1: Is themself a real word?
Yes. Themself is an established singular reflexive form of they. It is increasingly accepted in modern English, especially when a writer wants to make the singular meaning clear.
Question 2: Is theirself grammatically correct?
Theirself occurs in some informal, regional, and dialectal varieties of English, but it is generally considered nonstandard in formal American English. Use themself instead in professional, academic, and edited writing.
Question 3: Should I use themself or themselves with singular they?
Both forms can appear with singular they. Use themself when you want to emphasize that the pronoun refers to one person. Use themselves when following a style guide or usage tradition that prefers the established plural-looking form with singular they.
Conclusion
Themself is the preferred standard form for referring back to one person who is represented by singular they. Theirself is generally nonstandard and should be avoided in formal writing. Pro tip: choosing the widely recognized form can improve clarity and protect your professional reputation, particularly in applications, reports, academic work, and workplace communication.
