How to pronounce herself
Say it like her-SELF. Herself has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (SELF).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce herself. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- her
- SELF
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Herself pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- herKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "er" in butter.
- SELFSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "e" in bed.
American vs British pronunciation of herself
- Americans pronounce the r after a vowel; most British speakers leave it silent and lengthen the vowel instead.
British respelling: hur-SELF.
What does herself mean?
- Her; the feminine object of a verb or preposition that also appears as the subject.“Sandra injured herself.”
- She; an intensifier of the female subject or object, often used to indicate the directness or exclusiveness of that person .“She was injured herself.”
- The subject or non-reflexive object of a predicate; she (used of upper-class ladies, or sarcastically, of women who imagine themselves to be more important than others)“What's herself up to this time?”
Where does herself come from?
From Middle English. Equivalent to her + -self.
Words that rhyme with herself
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of herself.
Questions about saying herself
How do you pronounce herself?
Say her-SELF. The American pronunciation is /hɚˈsɛlf/. In British English it is /hɜːˈsɛlf/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in herself?
Herself has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (SELF). Broken into parts: her · SELF.
Is herself pronounced differently in British English?
Yes. Americans pronounce the r after a vowel; most British speakers leave it silent and lengthen the vowel instead. The British form is /hɜːˈsɛlf/ (hur-SELF).