How to pronounce yourself in American English

IPA /jərˈsɛlf/ Syllables 2 · yer·sehlf Stress 2nd syllable

yer·SEHLF

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Americans pronounce yourself as yer-SEHLF (/jərˈsɛlf/). The R is one continuous sound with the vowel — the tongue curls back rather than rolling. Stress falls on the second syllable — keep everything else short and quick.

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Sounds

75%

Clarity

68%

Stress

78%

Intonation

65%

Fluency

62%

Overall assessment

Our AI coach listens to your recording and grades 5 dimensions of pronunciation — then tells you exactly what to fix next.

72% Noticeable accent

Common mistakes

Treating every L the same.

The L in "yourself" is a dark L — the back of the tongue rises toward the soft palate, adding a small "uh" quality before the L. Dark L adds a small schwa-like "uh" before the L. The back of the tongue lifts toward the soft palate.

Stressing the wrong syllable.

Stress falls on the second syllable, not the others. Stretch SEHLF — keep everything else short and quick.

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In real conversation

Hear "yourself" in the wild.

Click any sentence to see the full breakdown — every link, every reduction, every flap-T.

"Can you do it by yourself?"

kuhn yoo DOO iht bahy yer·SEHLF

Watch out

Common pronunciation mistakes in American English.

The textbook way isn't wrong — it's just not how anyone actually says it.

Treating every L the same.

yourself→yer·SEHLF

Stressing the wrong syllable.

Stress falls on the second syllable, not the others. Stretch SEHLF — keep everything else short and quick.

YER·sehlf→yer·SEHLF

Pronouncing the "R" too clearly.

Americans use a relaxed retroflex R — the tongue curls back rather than rolling. The R is one continuous sound with the vowel before it, not two separate sounds.

… (no R)→… r (curl the tongue)

Questions

Questions people ask about this.

How is "yourself" stressed in American English?

Stress falls on the second syllable — say "SEHLF" with a longer, fuller vowel and keep every other syllable short and quick. The respell "yer-SEHLF" marks the stressed syllable in capitals so the rhythm is easy to read at a glance.

How do I pronounce the R in "yourself"?

Americans use a relaxed retroflex R: the tongue curls back rather than rolling, and the R is one continuous sound with the vowel before it — not two separate sounds. Don't try to pronounce a separate vowel followed by a separate R. Treat them as a single shape.

Is the American pronunciation of "yourself" different from British English?

American English uses different vowel shapes, a relaxed retroflex R, and connected-speech tricks like flap-T and glottal-stop T that British Received Pronunciation generally avoids. The respell "yer-SEHLF" reflects the casual American form; British dictionaries typically print a citation form with crisper consonants and different vowel choices.

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Common mistakes

Treating every L the same.

Stressing the wrong syllable.

Hear "yourself" in the wild.

Words that work the same way.

Common pronunciation mistakes in American English.

Treating every L the same.

Stressing the wrong syllable.

Pronouncing the "R" too clearly.

Questions people ask about this.

Stop reading about "yourself". Start saying it.