Guide to Neopronouns: How to Use Neopronouns

Neopronouns, also known as noun-self pronouns or gender-neutral pronouns, are words to use in place of a language’s gender-specific pronouns. These new (neo) pronouns are typically third-person pronouns. In English and many Indo-European languages, most third-person pronouns, particularly singular ones, are specific to gender. Neopronouns, such as “ze” and “xe” avoid this specificity and refer to people who do not identify with a particular gender or prefer not to state their gender identity.

In the English language, when speaking in the third person, there are two primary sets of pronouns for people: he/him/his/himself and she/her/hers/herself. The plural third-person pronoun is they/them/theirs/themselves. “They” can also refer to a person who identifies as nonbinary or who otherwise wishes not to specify their gender. This usage of an already-official pronoun is not strictly a neopronoun.

There are a wide array of neopronouns currently in use, though some are much more common than others. Some neopronoun sets include:

• Xe/xem/xyrs/xemself
• Xy/xyr/xyrs/xyrself
• Hi/hir/hirs/hirself
• Ze/zir/zirs/zirself
• Ey/em/eirs/emself
• Ne/nem/nems/nemself
• Fae/faer/faers/faerself
• Ae/aer/aers/aerself
• Thon/thon/thon/thonself
• Per/per/pers/perself
• Ve/ver/vers/verself
• Zee/zed/zeta/zetas/zedself

Nonbinary people, transgender people, gender non-conforming people, or those who otherwise wish not to use the standard gendered language might use neopronouns. Take a look at the following examples:

• I asked to borrow thons car. This sentence replaces a conventional pronoun such as “his,” “her,” or “their” with the neopronoun “thons.”
• Ze is going on a trip to the South of France. Here, the neopronoun “ze” takes the place of a traditional pronoun like “he” or “she.” Sometimes, the spelling of “ze” is “zie.”
• Co is going to write the manual coself. In this example, the speaker is using the “co” third-person pronoun and the “coself” reflexive pronoun, rather than writing “He/she/they is/are going to write the manual himself/herself/themselves.”
• We decided to throw zir a party. There are many subtle variations in the spelling of neopronouns. Here, “zir” could also be spelled “zer” or “zyr.”

Practicing empathy can help you lead more effectively while building stronger relationships across the personal and professional facets of your life. Challenge your perceptions with the MasterClass Annual Membership and take lessons on emotional intelligence from Pharrell Williams, Roxane Gay, Gloria Steinem, Dr. Cornel West, Walter Mosley, Robert Reffkin, and Robin Arzón.