Himself or hisself can look like a tiny spelling question, but the difference actually involves English pronoun grammar, dialect, register, and context. If you are writing an essay, email, report, application, or other standard English text, the answer is straightforward: himself is the standard form. Hisself is generally classified as nonstandard, although it does occur in some dialects and informal varieties of English.
The confusion is understandable. English has his, him, and himself, so it is easy to imagine that his + self should produce hisself. But reflexive pronouns do not work that way. The standard form is connected to him, the object form of he: he → him → himself. Understanding that pattern is much more useful than simply memorizing which spelling looks right.
This guide explains why himself is standard, where hisself comes from, how reflexive pronouns actually work, and when a nonstandard form might appear intentionally. You will also see practical sentence examples, common pronoun mistakes, British and American usage, memory techniques, and a quick editing method you can use whenever you hesitate between himself and hisself.
Himself or Hisself: The Quick Answer
Himself is the correct standard English form.
Use himself when you need the reflexive or emphatic form of he/him:
- He taught himself how to cook.
- James blamed himself for the mistake.
- The manager himself approved the proposal.
- He completed the project by himself.
Hisself is not the standard reflexive pronoun in modern English. Major dictionaries may record it, but they label it nonstandard rather than presenting it as an ordinary alternative to himself. Dictionary.com, for example, defines hisself as a nonstandard form of himself.
That distinction matters because “nonstandard” does not necessarily mean “made-up.” A form can exist naturally in regional or social varieties of English while still being inappropriate for formal standard writing.
Himself — The Standard Form
Himself is the reflexive form associated with he/him. Cambridge lists he → himself among the standard English reflexive-pronoun pairs.
It has two especially important functions:
- Reflexive: the action returns to the same person.
- He injured himself.
- Emphatic: it emphasizes a person.
- The president himself attended the meeting.
Hisself — A Nonstandard Form
Hisself can occur in some varieties of English, particularly in informal or dialectal speech and writing. It may also appear in fictional dialogue when an author deliberately represents a character’s speech.
However, that does not make it the preferred form in formal, academic, professional, or edited English.
At a Glance: Himself vs. Hisself
| Feature | Himself | Hisself |
| Standard English | Yes | No |
| Reflexive pronoun | Yes | Nonstandard form |
| Formal writing | Use it | Avoid it |
| Academic writing | Use it | Avoid it |
| Everyday standard speech | Use it | May occur dialectally |
| Creative dialogue | Normal | May be intentional |
| Meaning | Reflexive/emphatic | Usually intended to mean himself |
Quick rule: If you are unsure which form to write, choose himself.
What Does “Himself” Mean?
Himself is a third-person singular reflexive pronoun associated with he and him. It refers back to a male person or animal when that person or animal is also the relevant subject or when the word is being used for emphasis. Cambridge defines it both as a reflexive form and as an emphatic form.
Consider:
Daniel hurt himself.
Daniel is the person doing the action, and Daniel is also the person affected by it. That is the basic idea behind a reflexive pronoun.
Himself as a Reflexive Pronoun
Reflexive pronouns commonly refer back to the subject of the clause. Cambridge’s grammar guidance gives the standard pattern: he → himself, just as I → myself, she → herself, and they → themselves.
Examples:
- He introduced himself to the new team.
- Marcus cut himself while shaving.
- The boy accidentally locked himself outside.
- He reminded himself to call his mother.
- The athlete pushed himself harder during training.
In each case, himself points back to the male subject.
Himself as an Intensive Pronoun
Himself does not always receive the action. Sometimes it simply adds emphasis.
Compare:
The director approved the plan.
with:
The director himself approved the plan.
The second sentence stresses that the director personally approved it.
Cambridge describes this emphatic use as a way of emphasizing a particular man or male subject.
More examples:
- The author himself answered my question.
- John himself prepared the presentation.
- The coach himself spoke to the players.
A useful test is to remove himself. If the sentence remains grammatically complete but loses emphasis, the word is probably being used intensively rather than reflexively.
Himself in Prepositional and Other Constructions
You will also encounter himself after prepositions:
- He bought the gift for himself.
- She was talking about himself. ❌
- He kept the information to himself.
- He went by himself.
- There was nobody with him. ❌
The important point is that reflexive pronouns are not interchangeable with ordinary object pronouns. Their use depends on the grammatical relationship within the sentence.
The expression by himself is especially common and usually means alone or without help.
Why Is “Hisself” Considered Nonstandard?
The spelling hisself becomes easier to understand once you look at the words surrounding it.
English has:
- he — subject pronoun
- him — object pronoun
- his — possessive form
- himself — reflexive/intensive pronoun
A speaker who knows the word his may intuitively construct:
his + self → hisself
That formation looks logical on the surface. The problem is that standard English does not form this reflexive pronoun from the possessive form his.
Instead, the established form is:
him + self → himself
This is why learning the pronoun system is more reliable than trying to create the word from its spelling.
The Influence of “His” and “Him”
Compare these sentences:
I gave him the book.
The book is his.
He bought the book for himself.
Each word has a different grammatical job.
| Word | Main function | Example |
| He | Subject | He opened the door. |
| Him | Object | I called him. |
| His | Possession | That is his car. |
| Himself | Reflexive/intensive | He blamed himself. |
The mistake occurs when his is treated as though it were the form that should combine with self.
Why “Himself” Uses “Him,” Not “His”
The standard reflexive-pronoun pattern makes the answer clear:
- I → myself
- you → yourself
- he → himself
- she → herself
- it → itself
- we → ourselves
- you → yourselves
- they → themselves
Cambridge specifically describes reflexive pronouns as forms ending in -self or -selves that refer back to subject forms of personal pronouns.
Notice that English does not simply take every possessive form and attach self:
- his + self → ❌ hisself
- him + self → himself
That is the established standard form.
Is “Hisself” Ever Used Intentionally?
Yes. This is where a careful explanation is better than simply saying “hisself is wrong.”
Dictionary.com records hisself as nonstandard and provides examples from published sources, demonstrating that the form exists in actual usage.
You might encounter it in:
- regional speech
- informal writing
- quoted conversation
- fictional dialogue
- representations of particular dialects
- historical or stylistically marked writing
For example, an author might write dialogue such as:
“He fixed it hisself.”
If the spelling is deliberately representing a character’s dialect, changing it automatically to himself could remove part of the author’s intended characterization.
That does not mean you should use hisself in your own formal writing.
How Reflexive Pronouns Work in English
The easiest way to understand himself is to stop treating it as an isolated spelling problem.
A reflexive pronoun identifies a situation in which the subject and the relevant object refer to the same person or thing. Cambridge gives the example He cut himself, where the person acting and the person affected by it are the same.
The Complete Set of Standard Reflexive Pronouns
| Subject | Object | Reflexive |
| I | me | myself |
| you | you | yourself |
| he | him | himself |
| she | her | herself |
| it | it | itself |
| we | us | ourselves |
| you | you | yourselves |
| they | them | themselves |
This table exposes the key pattern: himself belongs with him, not his.
Reflexive vs. Intensive Pronouns
These two functions are easy to confuse because the form is identical.
Reflexive:
He accidentally hurt himself.
Here, himself is necessary to identify who was hurt.
Intensive:
The actor himself called the reporter.
Here, himself adds emphasis. The sentence still works without it:
The actor called the reporter.
That distinction is useful when editing because it tells you what grammatical role himself is playing.
Why “Himself” Belongs in the Same Pattern
Once you recognize the pattern, himself stops looking like an arbitrary spelling.
he → him → himself
The reflexive form belongs to the same pronoun system as myself, herself, and themselves. That makes himself the predictable standard choice within the established system.
Himself vs. Hisself: Side-by-Side Comparison
The central distinction can be summarized in one sentence:
Himself is the standard English form; hisself is a nonstandard form that may occur in dialectal or informal usage.
| Question | Himself | Hisself |
| Is it standard English? | Yes | No |
| Does it mean “himself”? | Yes | Usually |
| Is it a standard reflexive pronoun? | Yes | No |
| Should students use it in essays? | Yes | No |
| Should professionals use it in formal documents? | Yes | No |
| Can it appear in dialogue? | Yes | Yes, if dialect is intentional |
| Is it simply a British/American spelling difference? | No | No |
| Best choice when uncertain | Himself | Avoid |
The last point is particularly important. Himself and hisself are not like colour and color, where both spellings are standard regional variants. The distinction is about standard versus nonstandard usage, not British versus American spelling.
When Should You Use “Himself”?
In almost every situation where standard English is expected, himself is the appropriate choice.
In Academic and School Writing
Use himself in:
- essays
- exams
- assignments
- research papers
- presentations
- academic correspondence
Example:
The scientist developed the experiment himself.
Using hisself in this context could make an otherwise polished piece of writing appear careless or nonstandard.
In Professional and Business Writing
Professional communication benefits from standard forms because readers generally expect clear, conventional language.
Use:
The client himself confirmed the appointment.
Not:
The client hisself confirmed the appointment.
The second version may be understandable, but understandability is not the same thing as standard professional usage.
In Everyday Conversation
Standard spoken English also uses himself:
He did it himself.
Of course, real-world speech varies. People use regional and social dialects every day, and dialect forms are part of natural language variation. The question is not whether people can say hisself; it is whether hisself is the appropriate form for the variety and situation you are using.
In Creative Writing and Dialogue
This is the main context where the answer becomes less absolute.
If a character consistently speaks in a dialect where hisself is natural, an author may choose to preserve it.
However, dialect spelling should be handled carefully. Overusing unusual spellings can make dialogue difficult to read, and using them inconsistently can make a character’s speech feel artificial.
Expert tip: Use nonstandard forms because they serve a clear stylistic or linguistic purpose—not simply because you want dialogue to “sound different.”
Common Sentences: Himself or Hisself?
Seeing the distinction in realistic sentences is often more useful than memorizing a definition.
“He Did It Himself”
Correct:
He did it himself.
Here, himself emphasizes that he completed the task personally.
“He Bought It for Himself”
Correct:
He bought the laptop for himself.
The person buying the laptop and the person receiving it are the same.
“He Kept It to Himself”
Correct:
He kept the information to himself.
This is an established expression meaning that he did not share the information.
“He Was Talking to Himself”
Correct:
He was talking to himself.
The person doing the talking and the person being addressed are the same.
“He Himself Said It”
Correct:
He himself said it.
The phrase adds emphasis: he personally said it.
“He Did It Hisself”
In standard English:
He did it himself.
In dialect representation, however, an author may deliberately write:
He did it hisself.
The second version is not the standard form, but its presence in dialogue does not automatically mean the author made an accidental spelling error.
Why Do People Say or Write “Hisself”?
The form has a straightforward linguistic explanation: speakers often create forms that seem regular based on patterns they already know.
If someone knows:
- his
- self
- herself
- myself
then hisself may seem perfectly reasonable.
The Word “His” Creates a Natural-Sounding Pattern
English speakers do not consciously calculate morphology every time they speak. Language patterns become automatic.
A learner may reason:
his + self = hisself
But standard English has historically settled on:
him + self = himself
This is a useful reminder that English word formation is shaped by historical development and conventional usage, not just by logical assembly.
Speech and Spelling Do Not Always Match
Another reason is pronunciation.
In rapid speech, himself can sound less distinct than it does when carefully pronounced. Cambridge gives the pronunciation as /hɪmˈself/ in its dictionary entry, while noting common English usage around the form.
People also learn language through the speech they hear around them. If hisself is used in a speaker’s local variety, the form can become familiar and natural to that speaker.
Other Nonstandard Reflexive Forms
The same broader phenomenon appears with other forms, including theirself and theirselves in some varieties.
These forms demonstrate an important principle: nonstandard English is not necessarily random English. Dialects can have recurring grammatical patterns of their own.
For formal writing, however, the safest approach is to follow the standard variety expected by your audience.
Is “Hisself” a Spelling Mistake or a Grammar Mistake?
Usually, if someone writes hisself when they intend standard English, it is best described as a nonstandard grammatical form, rather than merely a misspelled version of himself.
That distinction matters.
A spelling mistake might be:
He bought himself a coat.
He bought himslef a coat. ❌
The letters are accidentally misplaced.
By contrast:
He bought hisself a coat.
has a recognizable grammatical form that some speakers actually use.
So the correction depends on the context:
| Situation | Treatment of “hisself” |
| Formal essay | Correct to himself |
| Business email | Correct to himself |
| Academic paper | Correct to himself |
| Standard instructional material | Use himself |
| Quoted dialect | May retain hisself |
| Historical/linguistic analysis | May retain and discuss it |
| Fictional dialogue | Depends on intended dialect |
This approach is more accurate than simply declaring that every occurrence of hisself is a “bad spelling.”
British English vs. American English: Is “Hisself” Correct in Either One?
There is no standard British-versus-American spelling distinction here.
Both British and American standard English use himself.
Cambridge’s British and American dictionary entries both identify himself as the standard reflexive form.
That means you should not think:
British English → hisself
American English → himself
That is incorrect.
Instead:
Standard British English → himself
Standard American English → himself
Regional dialects within English-speaking countries can differ, but those dialect differences should not be confused with standard national spelling conventions.
The History and Origin of “Himself”
The history of himself also helps explain why him, rather than his, appears in the word.
Dictionary.com traces himself to forms dating back to before 900, including Old English him selfum and Middle English forms such as him selven.
That history is important because it shows that himself is not a modern spelling convention invented simply to make the word look different from his. The form developed through the historical use of him + self.
In modern English, the pieces are no longer completely independent in the way a learner might imagine. Himself is now a conventional pronoun with a well-established grammatical role.
This is one reason “just add self to whichever form sounds possessive” is not a reliable strategy.
How to Remember “Himself” Every Time
You do not need a complicated mnemonic. The most reliable memory trick is grammatical.
The “Him + Self” Rule
Think:
him + self = himself
Not:
his + self = hisself
The word himself contains the object pronoun him.
The Pronoun Pattern Method
Memorize the family:
me → myself
you → yourself
him → himself
her → herself
us → ourselves
them → themselves
Once you see himself beside him, the spelling becomes much easier to recall.
The Sentence Replacement Test
Try removing -self mentally.
He blamed himself.
The underlying object is related to him:
They blamed him.
That connection points you toward himself, not hisself.
This is not a universal mechanical rule for every reflexive construction, but it is a useful learning aid.
The Editing Shortcut
If you are proofreading and encounter hisself, stop and ask:
- Is this standard English?
- Is the writer intentionally reproducing dialect?
- Is this quoted material?
- If not, should it be himself?
In ordinary edited prose, the answer will almost always be himself.
Common Mistakes to Avoid With Himself
Knowing the correct spelling is only half the job. Reflexive pronouns are often misused even when they are spelled correctly.
Using “Himself” When “Him” Is Required
Incorrect:
I spoke to himself yesterday.
If the speaker is referring to another male person, standard English normally requires:
I spoke to him yesterday.
The reflexive pronoun needs the appropriate grammatical relationship.
Using “Him” When “Himself” Is Required
Compare:
Daniel blamed him.
This normally means Daniel blamed another male person.
But:
Daniel blamed himself.
means Daniel blamed Daniel.
That one-word difference can completely change the meaning.
Confusing “His” With “Himself”
Compare:
That is his jacket.
He put the jacket beside himself.
His expresses possession. Himself is reflexive or emphatic.
Using “Himself” Without a Clear Antecedent
Reflexive pronouns normally need a clear connection to an appropriate antecedent.
Clear:
Michael congratulated himself.
Unclear or problematic:
The report was given to himself.
The second sentence may be possible in a specialized grammatical context, but in ordinary writing, readers will usually expect a clear antecedent and appropriate structure.
What Is the Difference Between “Him,” “His,” and “Himself”?
These three forms are closely related but perform different jobs.
| Word | Grammatical role | Example | Meaning |
| he | Subject pronoun | He called. | The male person performs the action |
| him | Object pronoun | I called him. | The male person receives the action |
| his | Possessive form | It is his book. | The book belongs to him |
| himself | Reflexive/intensive pronoun | He called himself. | The action refers back to him |
Him vs. Himself
I saw him.
means I saw another male person.
He saw himself.
means he saw his own image or person.
The reflexive form therefore helps distinguish same-person reference from reference to someone else.
His vs. Himself
He repaired his bicycle.
The bicycle belongs to him.
He repaired the bicycle himself.
He personally performed the repair.
The two forms can even appear together:
He repaired his bicycle himself.
Here, his indicates possession, while himself adds emphasis.
Himself vs. His Own
These can sometimes express similar ideas but are not identical.
He made the decision himself.
Emphasizes who made the decision.
He made his own decision.
Emphasizes ownership or independence of the decision.
That distinction is useful in polished writing because choosing the right form can change emphasis without changing the basic event.
How to Correct “Hisself” in Your Writing
If you are editing a document, the correction is usually simple.
Search Your Draft for “Hisself”
Use your editor’s Find function and search for:
hisself
Then examine each occurrence rather than automatically replacing every instance.
Why? Because a manuscript might intentionally contain:
- a quotation
- dialect
- fictional dialogue
- a historical source
- a linguistic example
If none of those apply, change it to himself.
Check the Sentence’s Subject and Object
Ask:
Is the male subject performing an action that refers back to himself?
For example:
Ali taught himself Spanish.
Yes. Himself is appropriate.
If the person receiving the action is somebody else:
Ali taught him Spanish.
Use him, not himself.
Check the Writing Context
A simple decision rule works well:
| Your situation | Best choice |
| School assignment | Himself |
| Professional document | Himself |
| Formal email | Himself |
| Website article | Himself |
| Standard conversation | Himself |
| Quoting a dialect speaker | Hisself may be retained |
| Writing intentional dialect | Context-dependent |
| Unsure | Himself |
Does Using “Hisself” Make Your Writing Look Unprofessional?
In formal standard English, it can.
The problem is not that readers cannot understand hisself. Most will understand it immediately. The issue is that readers generally recognize himself as the conventional standard form.
That means hisself can distract attention from the message in contexts where readers expect polished English.
For example, in a business report:
The director himself reviewed the contract.
looks conventional and professional.
The director hisself reviewed the contract.
may make readers wonder whether the form was intentional.
The effect is different in creative writing. If a novelist deliberately uses hisself as part of a character’s established dialect, the unusual form can serve a legitimate stylistic purpose.
Context is the deciding factor.
Himself or Hisself: Quick Reference Guide
| Question | Answer |
| Which spelling is standard? | Himself |
| Is hisself a standard alternative? | No |
| What is himself? | A reflexive and intensive pronoun |
| What does himself refer to? | Usually a male person/animal connected to the subject |
| Why does hisself seem logical? | It resembles his + self |
| Is this a British/American difference? | No |
| Can hisself occur in real English? | Yes, especially in nonstandard or dialectal usage |
| Should you use it in formal writing? | No |
| Best memory trick | him + self = himself |
Remember: His shows possession; himself refers back to him or emphasizes him. The spelling hisself does not belong to standard English.
Conclusion
When choosing between himself or hisself, the practical answer is clear: himself is the standard English form. It functions as both a reflexive pronoun and an intensifier, as in He hurt himself and the manager himself approved the plan. Standard English uses himself in both British and American varieties; hisself is not simply an alternative regional spelling, although it can occur in dialectal and nonstandard usage. The deeper lesson is that English pronouns cannot always be formed by combining words according to surface logic. His + self may look reasonable, but the established form is him + self: himself. One final actionable tip: when proofreading, search for hisself and check whether it is intentional dialect or simply a nonstandard form. A common mistake to avoid is assuming that every unusual pronoun spelling is merely a typo; sometimes it represents genuine language variation. For standard writing, though, the dependable choice remains himself.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. Is “hisself” a real word?
Yes, hisself is an attested English form, but it is generally labeled nonstandard. It can occur in regional or dialectal speech and writing. Dictionary.com records it specifically as a nonstandard form of himself. That means it exists, but it is not the recommended choice for standard formal English.
Q2. Is “himself” always correct?
Himself is the standard form, but it must still be used in the right grammatical position. For example, He blamed himself is correct, while I spoke to himself is normally incorrect when referring to another man. The correct choice in that sentence is him. Reflexive forms depend on sentence structure.
Q3. Why do people say “hisself” instead of “himself”?
The form can arise naturally through analogy with “his”, especially because his + self appears visually logical. It can also be maintained through dialect and local speech patterns. Speakers do not necessarily construct every word according to standard grammatical rules, so familiar nonstandard forms can become stable within particular communities.
Q4. Should I use “hisself” in an essay?
No. For a school essay, academic paper, professional report, application, or other formal document, use himself. The main exception is when you are deliberately quoting or analyzing a dialectal form. In that case, preserving hisself may be appropriate because changing it would alter the original language.
Q5. What is the easiest way to remember “himself”?
Use the simple pattern him + self = himself. Then compare it with he → him → himself. If you remember that himself belongs to the same pronoun family as myself, herself, and themselves, the standard spelling becomes much easier to recall.
