Cool MateHer vs Hers vs Herself vs She
When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.
Her
Hers
Herself
She
| Her | Hers | Herself | She | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | 🇬🇧 /["/hə(r)//ɜː(r)//ə(r)//hɜː(r)/"]/🇺🇸 /["/hər//ɜːr//ər//hɜːr/"]/ | 🇬🇧 /["/hɜːz//ɜːz/"]/🇺🇸 /["/hɜːrz//ɜːrz/"]/ | 🇬🇧 /["/hɜːˈself//həˈself/"]/🇺🇸 /["/hɜːrˈself//hərˈself/"]/ | 🇬🇧 /["/ʃi//ʃiː/"]/🇺🇸 /["/ʃi//ʃiː/"]/ |
| Meaning | the woman or girl that belongs to or is being talked about | belonging to her | The female form of 'himself', used to refer to the subject when it is a girl or woman. | the word used to talk about a girl or woman |
| Example | We're going to call her Sophie. | His eyes met hers. | She hurt herself. | ‘What does your sister do?’ ‘She's a dentist.’ |
| Register | Neutral | Neutral | Neutral | Neutral |
| How common | Top 1,000 (very common) | Top 2,000 (common) | Top 2,000 (common) | High-frequency chunk |
| CEFR level | A1 | A2 | A2 | A1 |
| Part of speech | pronoun | pronoun | pronoun | pronoun |
| Collocations | give her, tell her, see her | hers is the best, this book is hers, the decision was hers | by herself, take care of herself, enjoy herself, teach herself, believe in herself | she went, she said, she likes |
| Antonyms | him, they, them | his, mine, ours, theirs | himself, themselves, yourself | he |
| Common mistakes | Using 'her' instead of 'she' as the subject of a sentence., Confusing 'her' with 'his' when referring to a female., Incorrectly using 'her' when the word should be a possessive noun. | Using 'her' instead of 'hers' when possession is highlighted., Confusing 'hers' with 'his' or 'its'., Incorrectly applying 'hers' in plural contexts. | 'Herself' is often confused with 'hers' (possessive)., Learners sometimes use 'herself' in place of 'she' in subject positions., Some learners forget to use 'herself' for the reflexive form when it's needed. | Confused with 'her' as the subject., Using 'she' for non-female entities. |
| Usage notes | Use 'her' when referring to someone female. It is appropriate in all contexts. However, do not confuse it with 'she', which is a subject pronoun. | Use 'hers' to indicate possession when the owner is female. It is appropriate in both spoken and written contexts. Avoid using it when it's unclear what is being possessed. | Use 'herself' when talking about a woman doing something alone or emphasizing her own actions. Avoid using it in overly casual contexts. | Used to refer to a female person. Appropriate in most contexts. Avoid using it for non-human subjects unless personifying. |
Frequently asked questions: Her vs Hers vs Herself vs She
What's the difference between Her, Hers, Herself, and She?
Her: the woman or girl that belongs to or is being talked about Hers: belonging to her Herself: The female form of 'himself', used to refer to the subject when it is a girl or woman. She: the word used to talk about a girl or woman
Are Her, Hers, Herself, and She the same CEFR level?
Her: A1, Hers: A2, Herself: A2, She: A1 on the CEFR scale.
What part of speech are Her, Hers, Herself, and She?
Her: pronoun, Hers: pronoun, Herself: pronoun, She: pronoun.
Can you show an example of each?
Her: We're going to call her Sophie. Hers: His eyes met hers. Herself: She hurt herself. She: ‘What does your sister do?’ ‘She's a dentist.’
Can I use Her, Hers, Herself, and She interchangeably?
Not always. Her, Hers, Herself, and She are related and overlap in some contexts, but they differ in register, how common they are, and usage, so swapping one for another can change the meaning or tone. Check the differences above before substituting.