How to pronounce ourself
Say it like or-SELF. Ourself 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 ourself. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- or
- SELF
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Ourself pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- orKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "ah" in father.
- SELFSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "e" in bed.
American vs British pronunciation of ourself
- Americans pronounce the r after a vowel; most British speakers leave it silent and lengthen the vowel instead.
British respelling: ah-SELF.
What does ourself mean?
- The reflexive of the royal or editorial we: myself (as used by one who is a monarch, writer or speaker when referring to oneself as we).“In the present study, we will limit ourself to the simplest of cases.”
- The reflexive of the generic we: oneself.“We should love our neighbor as ourself.”
- Reflexive of "we" referring to an individual person being addressed, especially a person in the speaker's care.“Hello Mrs Miggins. Did we manage to wash ourself this morning?”
Where does ourself come from?
From Middle English oure-selfe; equivalent to our + -self.
Words that rhyme with ourself
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of ourself.
Questions about saying ourself
How do you pronounce ourself?
Say or-SELF. The American pronunciation is /ɑrˈsɛlf/. In British English it is /ɑːˈsɛlf/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in ourself?
Ourself has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (SELF). Broken into parts: or · SELF.
Is ourself 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 /ɑːˈsɛlf/ (ah-SELF).