# self

> English word · Pronoun · IPA /ˈsɛlf/ · frequency rank #564

## Definitions
1. Himself, herself, itself, themself, themselves; that specific (person mentioned).
2. Myself, oneself.

## Etymology
From Middle English self, silf, sulf, from Old English self, seolf, sylf, from Proto-Germanic *selbaz. Cognates include Gothic 𐍃𐌹𐌻𐌱𐌰 (silba), German selbst and Dutch zelf.

## Easily confused with
- **sf** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/self-vs-sf)
- **SL** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/self-vs-sl)
- **set** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/self-vs-set)
- **sex** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/self-vs-sex)
- **sen** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/self-vs-sen)
- **SEO** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/self-vs-seo)
- **SEP** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/self-vs-sep)
- **sol** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/self-vs-sol)
- **ser** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/self-vs-ser)
- **sew** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/self-vs-sew)
- **sly** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/self-vs-sly)
- **SQL** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/self-vs-sql)
- **ses** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/self-vs-ses)
- **sem** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/self-vs-sem)
- **SNL** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/self-vs-snl)
- **SEQ** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/self-vs-seq)
- **sil** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/self-vs-sil)
- **SLR** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/self-vs-slr)
- **SPF** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/self-vs-spf)
- **Sul** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/self-vs-sul)

## Common misspellings (6)
`eslf`, `sefl`, `selff`, `sellf`, `slef`, `sself`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/self