noun

pronoun

PROH-nown

Pronoun (noun) means a word used in place of a noun, such as I, you, she, it, they, this or who, so you do not have to repeat the name. Example: “In "Ella lost her keys", "her" is a pronoun.”

noun

A word used in place of a noun, such as I, you, she, it, they, this or who, so you do not have to repeat the name.

"In "Ella lost her keys", "her" is a pronoun."

"Replace the repeated name with a pronoun to make the sentence flow."

The set of personal pronouns a person uses for themselves, such as she/her, he/him or they/them, often stated so that others address them correctly.

"My pronouns are they/them."

"The name badges had space for pronouns."

How to Use Pronoun

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishA short word like he, she, it or they that stands in for a name.

When to use it

Neutral grammatical term. The second sense is standard in workplaces, universities and online profiles.

Memory tip

A pronoun must agree with the noun it replaces in number and, where relevant, gender: the noun it stands for is its antecedent.

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Easily confused with

pronoun vs noun pronoun vs antecedent

Common pairings

personal pronoun relative pronoun possessive pronoun share your pronouns pronoun agreement

Word Forms

pronouns plural

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Fill the Gap

Can you complete this real example?

In "Ella lost her keys", "her" is a _____.

Etymology

From Latin pronomen, from pro "in place of" + nomen "name", modelled on the Greek grammatical term.

Origin: Latin

Rhymes for pronoun

noun Youn

See all rhymes for pronoun →

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the types of pronouns?

The main types are personal (I, she, them), possessive (mine, hers), reflexive (myself, themselves), demonstrative (this, those), relative (who, which, that), interrogative (who, what) and indefinite (someone, anything).

Is "they" correct for one person?

Yes. Singular they has been used for an unspecified individual since Middle English and is accepted by every major style guide, including for a named person who uses they/them.

What is the difference between a noun and a pronoun?

A noun names a person, place or thing directly; a pronoun stands in for a noun already known from context. "Maria" is a noun, "she" is the pronoun that replaces it.