Cool MateItself vs Themselves
When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.
Itself
Top 2,000 (common)A2pronoun
Themselves
Top 1,000 (very common)A2pronoun
Most common: Themselves
| Itself | Themselves | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | 🇬🇧 /["/ɪtˈself/"]/🇺🇸 /["/ɪtˈself/"]/ | 🇬🇧 /["/ðəmˈselvz/"]/🇺🇸 /["/ðəmˈselvz/"]/ |
| Meaning | Refers back to the subject in a sentence. | the people being talked about do something on their own |
| Example | The cat was washing itself. | They seemed to be enjoying themselves. |
| Register | Neutral | Neutral |
| How common | Top 2,000 (common) | Top 1,000 (very common) |
| CEFR level | A2 | A2 |
| Part of speech | pronoun | pronoun |
| Collocations | speak for itself, do it itself, by itself | manage themselves, enjoy themselves, clean themselves |
| Antonyms | others, themselves | others, another, different people |
| Common mistakes | Confused with 'it' in some contexts., Using 'itself' when the subject is plural., Misplaced within longer sentences. | Using 'themself' instead of 'themselves', which is not standard., Confusing with 'their' as a possessive pronoun., Omitting 'themselves' in sentences where it's needed for clarity. |
| Usage notes | Used to emphasize the subject or when the subject performs the action on itself. Avoid in very formal writing where more complex phrases can be used. | Used when the subject and the object of the verb are the same. Appropriate in both spoken and written English but more common in neutral contexts. |
Frequently asked questions: Itself vs Themselves
What's the difference between Itself and Themselves?
Itself: Refers back to the subject in a sentence. Themselves: the people being talked about do something on their own
Which is more common: Itself and Themselves?
Themselves is the most common in everyday English.
Are Itself and Themselves the same CEFR level?
Itself: A2, Themselves: A2 on the CEFR scale.
What part of speech are Itself and Themselves?
Itself: pronoun, Themselves: pronoun.
Can you show an example of each?
Itself: The cat was washing itself. Themselves: They seemed to be enjoying themselves.
Can I use Itself and Themselves interchangeably?
Not always. Itself and Themselves 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.