How to pronounce themselves
Say it like them-SELVZ. Themselves has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (SELVZ).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce themselves. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- them
- SELVZ
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Themselves pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- themKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "e" in bed.
- SELVZSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "e" in bed.
American vs British pronunciation of themselves
American and British speakers say themselves in essentially the same way: /ðɛmˈsɛlvz/ in the US and /ðəmˈsɛlvz/ in the UK.
British respelling: thum-SELVZ.
What does themselves mean?
- The reflexive case of they, the third-person plural personal pronoun. The group of people, animals, or objects previously mentioned, as the object of a verb or following a preposition (also used for emphasis).“They’ve hurt themselves.”
- The reflexive case of they, the third-person singular personal pronoun. The single person previously mentioned, as the object of a verb or following a preposition (also used for emphasis).“Would whoever stole my phone please make themselves known.”
Where does themselves come from?
Morphologically them + -selves.
Words that rhyme with themselves
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of themselves.
Questions about saying themselves
How do you pronounce themselves?
Say them-SELVZ. The American pronunciation is /ðɛmˈsɛlvz/. In British English it is /ðəmˈsɛlvz/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in themselves?
Themselves has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (SELVZ). Broken into parts: them · SELVZ.
Do Americans and Brits say themselves the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ðɛmˈsɛlvz/ and the British form is /ðəmˈsɛlvz/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.