Understanding the Difference Between Himself and Him Self

Understanding the Difference Between Himself and Him Self

Understanding the Difference between “Himself” and “Him Self”

The words “himself” and “him self” look very close but are used in different ways. Learning when to use each one will help make your writing clear.

History

“Himself” is one word and has been used in English for a long, long time. It means the same as “he” but adds focus or shows that the action is done by him. “Him self” is not common and is only used when talking about two things: “him” and “self.”

How to Use

“Himself” is used when the action is done by the person to the person. For example:

• He helped himself to some food.
• He did the work himself.
• He looked at himself in the mirror.
• Did he write the letter himself?
• He kept the secret to himself.

“Him self” is used when talking about “him” and “self” as two separate ideas. For example:

• He drew a picture of him self as a hero.
• She asked about him self and his hobbies.
• He spoke about him self in third person.
• This book is about him self and his journey.
• He made a model of him self using clay.

Trick to Remember the Difference

A trick to remember: “himself” is one word and used when one person does something to that same person. “Him self” is two words and very rarely needed; it talks about two separate ideas.

Summary

To sum up, use “himself” when talking about a person doing something for or to that same person. Use “him self” when separating “him” and “self,” which is not common. This way, your writing will be clear and easy to understand.