them

The word “them” means the objective form of "they" — used for people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition. In plain terms, the object form of "they," used for plural people/things or for a single person of unspecified gender.

“Them” is pronounced THEHM (/ˈðʌm/ in IPA).

Here is “them” used in a sentence: “I saw them at the market yesterday.”

Words with a similar meaning to “them” include dem, em, 'em and hem.

“Them” is a pronoun.

The word “them” comes from Old English. From Old Norse þeim, borrowed into Middle English to replace the native Old English object form.

“Them” is a very common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A1 level.

“Them” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: the objective form of "they" — used for people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition.

Yes. "Them" is standardly used for a single person whose gender is unknown, irrelevant, or non-binary: "someone called — I'll ring them back." This singular use is accepted by major dictionaries and style guides.

"They" is the subject form ("they arrived") and "them" is the object form, used after a verb or preposition ("I saw them," "with them"). If the word performs the action, use "they"; if it receives the action, use "them."

In standard English, no — the demonstrative is "those books." Using "them" as a determiner ("them books," "them people") is a well-known feature of some regional and informal dialects but is considered nonstandard in writing.

Both are defensible: "taller than them" treats "than" like a preposition and is normal in everyday English, while "taller than they (are)" treats "than" as a conjunction and sounds more formal. Adding the verb — "than they are" — is the safest choice in formal writing.