What’s the Plural of Self: Understanding Singular and Plural Nouns
Quick Answer
The plural of self is selves. Change the -f to -ves. The word “selfs” is not correct.
One: She found her true self during the trip.
More than one: They found their true selves during the trip.
Self Becomes Selves — See the Pattern
Look at these words. Can you see what happens?
- one self → two selves
- one wolf → two wolves
- one half → two halves
- one leaf → two leaves
Did you see the pattern? The -f at the end changes to -ves. This is a rule in English for many words that end in -f or -fe.
The same thing happens with words that use self at the end:
| One person (singular) | More than one (plural) |
|---|---|
| myself | ourselves |
| yourself | yourselves |
| himself / herself | themselves |
| itself | themselves |
Why Self Becomes Selves (Not Selfs)
In English, many words that end in -f change to -ves when you make them plural:
- self → selves (not “selfs”)
- wolf → wolves (not “wolfs”)
- half → halves (not “halfs”)
This is an old rule in English. The -f sound became softer (a -v sound) when it sat between two vowel sounds. That is why we say “selves” and not “selfs“.
This rule also works for the words we use every day:
- myself → ourselves (I → we)
- yourself → yourselves (one person → more than one)
- himself / herself → themselves (one person → more than one)
Easy way to remember: Think of half → halves. Everyone knows that one. The word self works the same way: self → selves.
The Rule in One Line: Self ends in -f, so the plural is selves (-f → -ves).
How to Use Selves in Everyday English
- They need to believe in themselves. (more than one person)
- We should always try to be our best selves. (more than one self)
- The students introduced themselves to the class. (more than one person)
- Please help yourselves to some food. (talking to more than one person)
- We taught ourselves to cook last year. (we = more than one person)
You are doing great. Now let’s look at the mistakes many learners make with this word.
Three Mistakes to Avoid With Self and Selves
Even advanced learners mix up “selfs” and “selves” sometimes — so if you get confused, you are not alone. Even native speakers’ children say “theirselfs” when they are learning to talk.
✗ They need to believe in themselfs.
✓ They need to believe in themselves.
✗ We taught ourselfs to play the guitar.
✓ We taught ourselves to play the guitar.
✗ They discovered their true selfs on the trip.
✓ They discovered their true selves on the trip.
How to remember: If you can spell ourselves, you already know the rule. The -f always changes to -ves. It is never “selfs,” “ourselfs,” or “themselfs.”
Other words like this: wolf → wolves, leaf → leaves, shelf → shelves, half → halves, life → lives.
Test Yourself: Self or Selves?
Choose the correct answer for each sentence. Click Check to see if you are right.
1. They were proud of their true _______.
2. She found her true _______ during the trip.
3. The children dressed _______ for school this morning.
4. We taught _______ to cook last year.
5. He always talks to _______ when he is nervous.
Keep Going — You Are Building Something
You just learned that self becomes selves. That is one more plural you will never get wrong again.
But here is something interesting. You now know the rule: words ending in -f change to -ves. But what about the word wife? Does it become “wifes” or “wives”? And why do so many people get it wrong?
Next lesson: What Is the Plural of Wife?
Sources
Definition of self — Cambridge Dictionary
Origin of self — Online Etymology Dictionary
My name is Khamis Maiouf. I am the creator of the English Teacher Site, dedicated to providing valuable resources and insights for students around the world. With a passion for education and a commitment to helping students enhance their skills, I aim to make English teaching more effective and enjoyable for both educators and students.
