How to pronounce himself
Say it like him-SELF. Himself 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 himself. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- him
- SELF
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Himself pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- himKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
- SELFSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "e" in bed.
American vs British pronunciation of himself
American and British speakers say himself in essentially the same way: /hɪmˈsɛlf/ in the US and /hɪmˈsɛlf/ in the UK.
British respelling: him-SELF.
What does himself mean?
- Him; the male object of a verb or preposition that also appears as the subject“He injured himself.”
- He; used as an intensifier, often to emphasize that the referent is the exclusive participant in the predicate“He was injured himself.”
- The subject or non-reflexive object of a predicate; he himself.
Where does himself come from?
From Middle English hymself, from Old English him selfum.
Words that rhyme with himself
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of himself.
Questions about saying himself
How do you pronounce himself?
Say him-SELF. The American pronunciation is /hɪmˈsɛlf/. In British English it is /hɪmˈsɛlf/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in himself?
Himself has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (SELF). Broken into parts: him · SELF.
Do Americans and Brits say himself the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /hɪmˈsɛlf/ and the British form is /hɪmˈsɛlf/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.