How to pronounce yourself
Say it like YOR-self. Yourself has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (YOR).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce yourself. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- YOR
- self
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Yourself pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- YORSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "aw" in law.
- selfKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "e" in bed.
American vs British pronunciation of yourself
- The stress moves: Americans stress syllable 1, while British speakers stress syllable 2.
- Americans pronounce the r after a vowel; most British speakers leave it silent and lengthen the vowel instead.
British respelling: yuh-SELF.
Other ways to say yourself
Yourself also has these pronunciations, usually with a different meaning or use:
- yer-SELF /jɚˈsɛlf/
- yoor-SELF /jʊrˈsɛlf/
What does yourself mean?
- Your own self (singular).“Be careful with that fire or you'll burn yourself.”
- You (singular); used emphatically, especially to indicate exclusiveness of the referent's participation in the predicate, i.e., that no one else is involved.“You yourself know that what you wrote was wrong.”
- You (singular); even when "you" has not been used previously; see usage notes.“I spoke with yourself last in February.”
Where does yourself come from?
From Middle English yourself, equivalent to your + -self.
Questions about saying yourself
How do you pronounce yourself?
Say YOR-self. The American pronunciation is /ˈjɔrsɛlf/. In British English it is /jəˈsɛlf/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in yourself?
Yourself has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (YOR). Broken into parts: YOR · self.
Is yourself pronounced differently in British English?
Yes. The stress moves: Americans stress syllable 1, while British speakers stress syllable 2. The British form is /jəˈsɛlf/ (yuh-SELF).