yuur-SELVZ
/jʊˈɹsɛlvz/
yourselves is pronounced yuur-SELVZ (/jʊˈɹsɛlvz/). yourselves is a reflexive pronoun used as the object of a verb or preposition when the subject is you (plural or singular in modern usage). It functions as the plural form of yourself but is used in more formal or emphatic contexts as a plural.
yourselves is a reflexive pronoun used as the object of a verb or preposition when the subject is you (plural or singular in modern usage). It functions as the plural form of yourself but is used in more formal or emphatic contexts as a plural
"You should protect yourselves from the cold."
"If you’ve told yourselves you’ll arrive early, please stick to the plan."
"Watch out for yourselves and don’t take unnecessary risks."
Pronounce as /jɔːrˈsɛlvz/ in UK and US general accents, with the primary stress on the second syllable (sɛlv). Start with a light ‘y’ glide from the palatal approximant /j/ into /ɔː/ (open back rounded vowel). The second syllable begins with /s/ then /ɛ/ (like 'sell'), followed by /l/ and /v/ and ending with /z/. In many American accents, the /ɔːr/ may be realized as /ɔr/ or /ɔɹ/ depending on rhoticity; the sequence is -yours- = /jɔɹ/ or /jɔːr/, then -elve- = /sɛlv/ + final /z/. Audio references in reputable dictionaries will confirm the exact vowel length and rhoticity for your region.
Common errors include misplacing the stress (putting it on the first syllable or miscounting syllables), and mispronouncing the /j/ initial as a hard consonant or adding an extra syllable (e.g., ‘your-selves’ as three syllables). Another frequent slip is not voicing the final /z/ (devoicing to /s/). Focus on the /j/ glide followed by a strong /ɔ/ or /ɔɹ/, then /sɛlv/ with a clear /z/ at the end. Practice by isolating the /sɛlv/ cluster and ensuring the /z/ voice is audible.
In US and UK English, the /j/ initial is light, with mostly non-rolled tongue and a clear /ɔː/ or /ɔr/ before /s/; rhotic US may add an /ɹ/ in the /ɔɹ/ sequence. Australian English tends to be non-rhotic in many speakers but can have a lengthened /ɔː/ and clearer /z/ at the end. The vowel quality for the second syllable can shift toward /eɪ/ in some rapid speech variants or in certain regional accents. Overall, keep the second syllable stressed, and ensure the final /z/ remains voiced across all three accents.
The difficulty lies in the two-syllable rhythm and the cluster /s/ + /ɛlv/ at the heart of the word, which requires precise tongue shaping to avoid a mis-timed /z/ or a misproduced /l/. The initial /j/ glide must smoothly connect to the open-mid back vowel, and the final /z/ must be voiced without extra voicelessness from neighboring consonants. Practicing with minimal pairs and slow-speed drills helps your mouth coordinate the consonant blend and vowel transitions for natural speech.
Is there a silent-letter nuance in 'yourselves' or a reduced vowel in natural speech? No letters are technically silent in the standard pronunciation; the word is pronounced as two syllables with focus on /jɔr/ and /sɛlv/. Some speakers may reduce the /ɔr/ to a quicker /ɔɹ/ or even /ɒ/ in rapid speech, but this does not remove the lead consonant or final consonant sounds. The primary phonetic emphasis remains on the second syllable.
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US: usually rhotic; /jɔɹˈsɛlvz/; clear /ɹ/ before the vowel, with kéo /ɔɹ/ notation. UK: /jɔːˈsɛlvz/, longer /ɔː/ and a possibly non-rhotic vowel in the /ɔː/ portion near /s/. AU: /jɔːˈsɛlvz/, with a broader, more open back vowel and potentially non-rhoticity in some dialects. Across all, keep a crisp /s/ before /l/ and ensure voicing of /z/. Refer to IPA for precise targets; practice with tongue position and lip rounding to avoid rounding errors.
The pronoun yourselves derives from the Middle English yourselves, itself a compound of you (the second-person pronoun) and yourselves, an old plural reflexive form modeled on other English reflexives like ourselves/yourselves. The base you evolved from Old English ge (plural you) and the reflexive -self suffix that attaches to a pronoun (-self, -selves). The modern form you + r + s e l v e s marks the second-person plural or emphatic singular in contemporary usage, with the -es suffix indicating a plural"self"; the word has kept its reflexive function across centuries, shifting slightly in frequency and formality with changes in pronoun use and pronoun-agreement conventions. First known written attestations appear in Early Modern English texts, with stable usage by the 17th century as English pronouns formalized for both singular/plural second person use. Over time, assists with pronoun-person agreement (you yourself vs you yourselves) solidified in print and speech, aligning with the broader English trend toward explicit reflexive pronouns for emphasis, reciprocity, or syntactic completeness in clauses.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "yourselves" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "yourselves" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "yourselves"
-ves sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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