English pronunciation · Words Starting with O
Ourselves Pronunciation
Ourselves is pronounced ahr-SELVZ, IPA /aʊɝˈsɛlvz/.
ahr-SELVZ
US /aʊɝˈsɛlvz/ · UK /aʊəˈsɛlvz/
Syllables: ahr · SELVZ (2 syllables, stress on syllable 2)
pronoun (reflexive): Us and no one else, used when the people doing something are the same people it happens to.
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Two Ways to Say Ourselves
The pronunciation changes with the meaning or the part of speech. The form above is the most common; the others are:
- ow-er-SELVZ, the careful full form: (ow-er-SELVZ)
Ourselves in a Sentence
- We built the shed ourselves.
- We kept the news to ourselves for a week.
- We ought to be kinder to ourselves.
Common Mispronunciations of Ourselves
Not OWR-selvz
SELVZ is the loud half. Leaving the weight at the front makes the word sound like two words read off a page.
Not ahr-SELFS
That ending is voiced, a z. Self becomes selves, and shelf, wolf, and knife all change the same way.
Tip: Both readings are standard: the quick ahr-SELVZ of ordinary speech and the fuller ow-er-SELVZ.
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