Its self or itself is a common English usage question that can confuse writers and learners. At first glance, “its self” and “itself” may seem like two versions of the same pronoun, but they are not normally used in the same way. In standard English, itself is the correct reflexive pronoun when you are referring back to something previously mentioned. For example, “The machine turned itself off” uses itself correctly because the pronoun refers back to “the machine.”
The confusion often comes from the possessive word its. Its shows possession or ownership, as in “The dog wagged its tail.” When followed by a noun, its is written as one word. However, itself is also written as one word when it functions as a reflexive pronoun or intensive pronoun.Understanding the difference between its and itself, its self meaning, and itself meaning can help you avoid common grammar mistakes.
This distinction is especially useful when writing formal English, emails, school assignments, blog posts, and professional content.In this guide, we’ll explain whether “its self” is correct, when to use itself, and how to recognize the correct word form in a sentence. We’ll also look at clear examples so you can confidently choose between these English words in your own writing.
Its Self or Itself: Which Is Correct?
The correct choice in most everyday sentences is itself.
Itself is the standard reflexive and emphatic pronoun corresponding to it. Unlike the possessive word its, the word itself doesn’t indicate ownership.
Compare these sentences:
| Sentence | Correct form | Why? |
| The cat washed itself. | itself | The action returns to the cat. |
| The car repaired itself. | itself | The car is connected to the action. |
| The house itself is beautiful. | itself | The word adds emphasis. |
| The company changed its policy. | its | Its shows possession. |
| It’s been repaired. | it’s | It’s means “it has.” |
A useful rule is simple:
If you’re using the reflexive pronoun that corresponds to “it,” write “itself” as one word.
So, these forms are normally correct:
- itself
- itself
- themselves
- herself
- himself
- yourself
Not:
- it self
- its self
- it’s self
The last three forms don’t work as substitutes for the standard reflexive pronoun itself.
What Does “Itself” Mean?
Itself is a reflexive pronoun and an emphatic pronoun.
That sounds technical, but the idea is straightforward. The word can either point an action back toward something or emphasize that thing.
Itself as a Reflexive Pronoun
A reflexive pronoun refers back to the subject of a sentence.
Consider:
The puppy scratched itself.
The subject is the puppy. The puppy performs the action, and the action returns to the puppy. That’s why itself fits.
More examples include:
- The bird injured itself.
- The computer restarted itself.
- The door closed itself.
- The plant seems to protect itself.
- The device switched itself off.
Without the reflexive pronoun, the meaning could change or become incomplete.
Compare:
The dog washed itself.
The dog washed its own body.
Now compare:
The dog washed it.
Here, it normally refers to another object or animal.
The single word itself therefore carries an important grammatical relationship.
Itself as an Emphatic Pronoun
You can also use itself to emphasize a noun or pronoun.
For example:
The house itself isn’t the problem.
The word itself emphasizes the house.
You could remove it and still have a grammatical sentence:
The house isn’t the problem.
However, the emphasis changes.
With itself, the sentence suggests that the house as a thing isn’t the issue. Perhaps its location, maintenance, price, or another factor causes the problem.
More examples:
- The restaurant itself was excellent.
- The design itself isn’t difficult.
- The machine itself works perfectly.
- The idea itself is reasonable.
- The software itself isn’t expensive.
This use often helps writers make a distinction between an object and something associated with it.
Is “Its Self” Ever Correct?
Here’s where the confusion gets interesting.
“Its self” can occur as two separate words, but it isn’t the normal alternative spelling of “itself.”
In a two-word construction, its functions as a possessive determiner and self functions as a noun.
That’s very different from the single word itself.
For example, self can refer to a person’s identity, character, or essential nature. In specialized or philosophical writing, a writer may discuss something’s self as a separate concept.
However, this construction is uncommon with its, and many apparent examples of “its self” are simply mistakes for itself.
Consider this sentence:
The machine repaired itself.
Here, itself is a reflexive pronoun.
Writing:
The machine repaired its self.
would normally be incorrect because its self isn’t being used as a separate noun phrase. The writer simply needs the reflexive pronoun.
The distinction becomes clearer when self genuinely functions as a noun.
For example, someone might write about an entity’s self in philosophical or theoretical language. In that context, its modifies the noun self.
That construction has a different meaning from the everyday pronoun itself.
Why the Difference Matters
The two forms aren’t interchangeable just because they contain similar words.
Think of the difference this way:
itself = one grammatical unit
its self = possessive determiner + noun
It’s similar to the difference between other combinations and established compound forms. English contains many words whose parts can exist separately but whose grammatical functions change when combined.
“Its Self” vs. “Itself” Examples
The easiest way to understand the difference is through examples.
| Example | Correct form | Explanation |
| The dog injured itself. | itself | Reflexive pronoun |
| The computer restarted itself. | itself | Reflexive pronoun |
| The building itself is old. | itself | Emphasis |
| The company changed its logo. | its | Possession |
| It’s already finished. | it’s | “It is” |
| The theory itself is controversial. | itself | Emphasis |
| The device protects itself. | itself | Reflexive meaning |
In normal writing, the pattern becomes easy to spot.
If self refers back to it, use itself.
If you’re showing possession, use its.
If you can replace it’s with it is or it has, use it’s.
Its vs. It’s vs. Itself
These three words cause a remarkable amount of confusion because they look similar but perform completely different grammatical jobs.
What Does “Its” Mean?
Its is a possessive determiner.
It shows that something belongs to, relates to, or is associated with it.
Examples:
- The company changed its name.
- The dog wagged its tail.
- The phone lost its signal.
- The tree dropped its leaves.
- The website updated its design.
Notice that its doesn’t contain an apostrophe.
That’s important because English usually uses apostrophes in possessive forms such as:
- John’s car
- Sarah’s book
- the teacher’s desk
But its is an exception.
What Does “It’s” Mean?
It’s is a contraction.
It can mean:
- it is
- it has
For example:
It’s cold outside.
You can expand that to:
It is cold outside.
Another example:
It’s been a long day.
Here, it’s means:
It has been a long day.
A quick replacement test works well. If it is or it has fits the sentence, it’s is probably correct.
What Does “Itself” Mean?
Itself is the reflexive or emphatic form of it.
Examples:
The door closed itself.
The project itself isn’t difficult.
It doesn’t mean it is, it has, or possession.
Quick Comparison
| Word | Meaning | Example |
| its | Shows possession or association | The dog ate its food. |
| it’s | “It is” or “it has” | It’s getting late. |
| itself | Reflexive or emphatic pronoun | The dog washed itself. |
| its self | Separate possessive + noun construction in limited contexts | Discussion of an entity’s self |
Why Is “Itself” Written as One Word?
English has developed a group of reflexive pronouns that function as single words.
These include:
- myself
- yourself
- himself
- herself
- itself
- ourselves
- yourselves
- themselves
The same basic pattern appears throughout the group.
You wouldn’t normally write:
- my self
- your self
- him self
- her self
- it self
- them selves
when you mean the corresponding reflexive pronoun.
Instead, standard English uses the established forms:
- myself
- yourself
- himself
- herself
- itself
- themselves
This is why itself should normally appear as one word.
Itself vs. It Self
Another variation people sometimes wonder about is “it self.”
When you’re using the standard reflexive pronoun, itself is the correct spelling.
For example:
The robot repaired itself.
Not:
The robot repaired it self.
The same principle applies when itself adds emphasis:
The answer itself is simple.
Not:
The answer it self is simple.
The separate words it and self can theoretically appear next to one another in unusual grammatical contexts, but that doesn’t make it self a spelling variation of itself.
Context matters.
Common Mistakes With “Its Self” and “Itself”
Writing “Its Self” Instead of “Itself”
This is the most common problem.
A writer sees it + self and assumes the word should remain separated.
For example:
The cat cleaned its self.
The intended meaning is clear, but the standard form is:
The cat cleaned itself.
The same correction applies to many sentences:
- The phone turned itself off.
- The animal defended itself.
- The program updated itself.
- The machine detected itself in the system.
- The child entertained itself with a toy.
Confusing “Its” With “It’s”
This mistake has nothing to do with itself, but the words often appear in the same grammar questions.
Compare:
The company changed its policy.
and:
It’s changing its policy.
In the first sentence, its shows possession.
In the second, it’s means it is.
A simple substitution test can settle the question.
If you can replace it’s with it is or it has, keep the apostrophe.
If that replacement doesn’t work, you may need its instead.
Using “Itself” Without a Clear Reference
Because itself points back to something, the reader needs to understand what it represents.
Compare:
The team reviewed the report before sending it to the client.
This sentence provides a clear context.
Now consider:
It reviewed itself.
The grammar may be technically possible, but the reader needs to know what it refers to.
Clear references make reflexive pronouns much easier to understand.
Itself in Different Sentence Patterns
Itself appears in several useful sentence structures.
Subject + Verb + Itself
This is a classic reflexive construction.
The dog scratched itself.
The machine shut itself down.
The door opened itself.
The subject performs an action that comes back to the same subject.
Noun + Itself
Here, itself adds emphasis.
The book itself is fascinating.
The restaurant itself is worth visiting.
The method itself is quite simple.
Removing itself usually leaves a grammatical sentence, but the emphasis disappears.
Itself After a Preposition
You can also encounter itself after certain prepositions.
The system can function by itself.
Here, by itself means independently or without assistance.
Other examples include:
- The machine can operate by itself.
- The program runs by itself.
- The device switched off by itself.
The phrase by itself is common in everyday English.
Itself in Everyday English
You don’t need complicated grammar to use itself correctly.
Consider ordinary situations.
Animals
The cat opened the door by itself.
The puppy hurt itself while playing.
The bird cleaned itself.
Technology
The phone restarted itself.
The computer installed the update by itself.
The application closed itself unexpectedly.
Objects
The door opened itself.
The light turned itself off.
The toy switched itself on.
These examples show why itself is so useful. It lets you describe an action without naming a second person or thing performing that action.
Itself for Emphasis
One of the most useful features of itself is its ability to narrow attention to the thing being discussed.
Consider:
The article is helpful.
Now compare:
The article itself is helpful.
The second sentence can imply that something surrounding the article isn’t necessarily helpful. Perhaps the website layout is confusing, but the article’s actual content is useful.
Another example:
The plan isn’t the problem.
versus:
The plan itself isn’t the problem.
The second version makes the distinction stronger.
You might be saying that the plan works fine but the way someone implemented it caused trouble.
This makes itself particularly useful in explanations, comparisons, arguments, and formal writing.
Itself vs. Other Reflexive Pronouns
Itself belongs to a larger family of reflexive pronouns.
| Subject | Reflexive pronoun | Example |
| I | myself | I taught myself. |
| You | yourself | You should prepare yourself. |
| He | himself | He introduced himself. |
| She | herself | She prepared herself. |
| It | itself | The animal protected itself. |
| We | ourselves | We organized ourselves. |
| You | yourselves | You can handle it yourselves. |
| They | themselves | They introduced themselves. |
The pattern is consistent: the reflexive pronoun corresponds to the subject.
That’s why itself belongs with it.
A Simple Case Study: Choosing the Right Word
Imagine you’re writing about a smartphone.
You want to say that the phone restarted without anyone touching it.
You might write:
The phone restarted its self.
That looks plausible if you’re thinking about the two separate words its and self. However, the sentence doesn’t express possession. The phone performs an action that refers back to the phone.
The correct sentence is:
The phone restarted itself.
Now imagine you want to describe the phone’s screen.
The phone cracked its screen.
Here, its is correct because the screen belongs to the phone.
Finally:
It’s been repaired.
Here, it’s means it has.
One small sentence set demonstrates the entire distinction:
| Meaning | Correct sentence |
| Reflexive | The phone restarted itself. |
| Possession | The phone cracked its screen. |
| “It has” | It’s been repaired. |
How to Remember “Its Self or Itself”
A quick mental shortcut can save you from this mistake.
Ask yourself:
Am I referring back to “it”?
If yes, you probably need itself.
For example:
The dog hurt itself.
The dog is the subject, and the action returns to the dog.
If you’re showing ownership, use its:
The dog hurt its paw.
If you’re saying it is or it has, use it’s:
It’s injured.
This three-question test covers most everyday situations:
- Does it mean “it is” or “it has”? → it’s
- Does it show possession? → its
- Does it refer back to “it” or add emphasis? → itself
“Its Self or Itself” Examples at a Glance
| Incorrect or confusing form | Better form | Explanation |
| The dog washed its self. | The dog washed itself. | Reflexive pronoun |
| The computer fixed its self. | The computer fixed itself. | Reflexive pronoun |
| The house its self is beautiful. | The house itself is beautiful. | Emphasis |
| The company changed it’s logo. | The company changed its logo. | Possession |
| Its getting late. | It’s getting late. | “It is” |
| The machine turned it self off. | The machine turned itself off. | Reflexive pronoun |
| The idea its self isn’t difficult. | The idea itself isn’t difficult. | Emphasis |
The key isn’t simply memorizing one spelling. You need to identify the grammatical job the word performs.
Is “It’s Self” Correct?
In ordinary modern English, “it’s self” is not the correct form when you mean the reflexive pronoun.
For example:
The machine repaired itself.
Not:
The machine repaired it’s self.
The apostrophe in it’s signals a contraction of it is or it has. It doesn’t create a possessive form before self.
Compare:
- it’s = it is / it has
- its = possessive
- itself = reflexive or emphatic pronoun
So “it’s self” should not be used as a two-word version of itself.
Can “Itself” Refer to a Person?
Generally, itself refers to something grammatically represented by it, rather than a person normally represented by he or she.
For people, English traditionally uses:
- himself
- herself
- themselves
- themself in some singular they contexts
For nonhuman animals, objects, organizations, concepts, and other entities that take it, itself is common.
Examples:
The company defended itself.
The organization introduced itself.
The machine protected itself.
Whether a person is referred to with it depends on context and language conventions. In ordinary respectful references to people, himself, herself, or a suitable singular they form is generally expected rather than itself.
Is “Itself” a Pronoun?
Yes.
Itself is a reflexive pronoun when it refers back to a noun or pronoun.
For example:
The cat washed itself.
Here, itself refers back to the cat.
It can also function as an intensive or emphatic pronoun when it adds emphasis:
The cat itself opened the door.
The grammatical role differs slightly, but the spelling remains itself.
What Is the Difference Between “Its Self” and “Itself”?
The most important distinction is grammatical.
Itself is a single pronoun.
Its self consists of two separate words: the possessive determiner its and the noun self.
In normal sentences, writers almost always need itself when they’re trying to express a reflexive meaning.
Compare:
The animal protected itself.
The animal protected its own body.
The sentence:
The animal protected its self.
would suggest that self is being treated as a separate noun. That isn’t the normal meaning intended in everyday writing.
Therefore, if the sentence sounds like a standard reflexive construction, itself is almost certainly the form you want.
Why Writers Get “Its Self” Wrong
The mistake makes sense once you look at how English words are built.
A learner sees:
it + self
and naturally assumes:
it + self = it self
But English doesn’t always spell compound grammatical forms according to their visible parts.
Reflexive pronouns have established spellings. Itself has become a single lexical item, so modern standard English treats it as one word.
The same pattern appears in:
herself
rather than:
her self
and:
themselves
rather than:
them selves
The visible components can still have separate meanings in other contexts, but that doesn’t change the established spelling of the reflexive pronoun.
Quick Grammar Test for “Itself”
When you’re unsure, try replacing itself with it.
If the sentence describes an action returning to the same thing, itself is often appropriate.
For example:
The dog washed itself.
The dog washed it would change the meaning because it could refer to something else.
Another useful test is to remove itself.
If the sentence remains grammatical but loses emphasis, itself may be functioning as an emphatic pronoun.
For example:
The building itself is beautiful.
Remove the word:
The building is beautiful.
The basic statement remains intact, but the emphasis changes.
Final Rule for “Its Self or Itself”
The answer is straightforward: itself is the standard spelling when you’re using the reflexive or emphatic pronoun.
Use itself when something represented by it refers back to itself:
The cat cleaned itself.
Use itself for emphasis:
The cat itself was surprisingly calm.
Use its to show possession:
The cat licked its paw.
Use it’s when you mean it is or it has:
It’s sleeping.
The two-word form its self has a separate and uncommon grammatical use when self genuinely functions as a noun. It shouldn’t be used as a spaced-out version of itself.
Conclusion
When choosing between its self and itself, the correct form in ordinary English is usually itself. It is a single word and works as a reflexive pronoun when it refers back to a thing, animal, organization, or other subject. For example, “The computer restarted itself” is correct.The word its, on the other hand, is a possessive determiner used to show that something belongs to or is associated with another thing. For example, “The company changed its policy.” Writing its self as two separate words is generally incorrect when you mean the reflexive pronoun itself.Remember this simple rule: use “itself” when the word refers back to “it,” and use “its” when you are showing possession. Once you understand this basic grammar rule, the difference becomes much easier to recognize.
FAQs
Is “its self” correct?
Usually, no. When you mean the reflexive pronoun, the correct spelling is itself, written as one word. For example, “The device turned itself off.”
Is it itself or its self?
Itself is normally the correct choice. Its self is not the standard form when you are using the word as a reflexive pronoun.
What does itself mean?
Itself is a reflexive pronoun that refers back to a thing or nonhuman subject previously mentioned. It can also be used as an intensive pronoun for emphasis.
What is the difference between its and itself?
Its shows possession, while itself refers back to the subject. For example, “The cat cleaned itself” uses itself, while “The cat licked its paw” uses its.
Should itself be one word?
Yes. Itself is normally written as one word. It should not be separated into “it self” or “its self” when used as the standard reflexive pronoun.
Can “its self” ever be used?
In ordinary modern English, its self is generally not used as the standard reflexive form. In unusual contexts, the two words might appear separately for a specific stylistic or philosophical purpose, but that is different from normal grammar.
Which is correct: “the machine fixed its self” or “the machine fixed itself”?
“The machine fixed itself” is correct. Itself refers back to “the machine” and functions as the reflexive pronoun.
How can I remember the difference?
Use its for possession and itself when the subject acts on or refers back to itself. Think of its = belonging to it and itself = it + self.
