easy
In “Mina found the book, and she opened it,” she and it are pronouns.
What does Pronoun mean?
A pronoun is a word that stands in for or refers like a noun or noun phrase.
Dictionary definition
A pronoun is a word used in place of, or to refer like, a noun or noun phrase whose meaning is clear from context. Pronouns include personal, possessive, reflexive, demonstrative, relative, interrogative, and indefinite forms. In everyday introductions, someone's pronouns are the personal forms they use when others refer to them.
Example sentences
Pronoun in a sentence
medium
The pronoun they can refer to several people or to one person whose identity is known or not specified.
medium
Who is an interrogative pronoun in the question “Who called?”
hard
In “The robot repaired itself,” the reflexive pronoun itself refers back to the subject.
hard
Sam introduced themself and shared that their pronouns are they and them.
Writing practice
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Quick practice
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Practice the meaning of Pronoun
Answer three quick questions about its meaning and related words.
Question 1 of 3
Practice 1
What is a pronoun?
Pronouns refer to people, things, places, or ideas without always repeating the full noun phrase.
Practice 2
Which pronoun has a clear antecedent in “Ari planted the seed. It began to grow” ?
It is a pronoun whose antecedent is the noun phrase the seed.
Practice 3
Choose the clearest pronoun: Maya and I finished the poster, so ____ carried it to class together.
We is the subject pronoun for Maya and the speaker.
Practice complete
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Pronunciation coach
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Pronoun
Voice settings
Sounds like
proh · nown · strongest beat: proh
Tap each sound part, then blend the whole word together.
Learn
WordPronoun.
Partnoun.
MeaningPronoun means A pronoun is a word that stands in for or refers like a noun or noun phrase.
ExampleExample: In “Mina found the book, and she opened it,” she and it are pronouns.
Word breakdown
2 syllables. Say each part, then blend the word.
- Syllables
- proh · nown
- Strongest beat
- proh
- Ending
- nown
- Tip
- Put a little extra energy on proh.
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Synonyms
Words like Pronoun
stand-in wordA plain-language description for a pronoun that replaces or points to a noun phrase.
substitute wordClose for many pronouns, though some pronouns refer through context without replacing an earlier written noun.
Antonym review
Does Pronoun have an opposite?
Pronoun has no direct antonym. Noun is a closely related contrasting class, but pronouns can perform many of the same sentence functions and are not opposites of nouns.
Synonym practice
Want to practice pronoun synonyms in context? Try a Synonym Search question like "The pronoun replaced Maya's name in the sentence," then compare close word choices. Practice pronoun synonyms.
Word family
Pronoun word family
Base word
pronoun
noun
pronouns
More than one pronoun; in introductions, the personal forms someone uses when being referred to.
adjective
pronominal
Related to a pronoun or functioning like one; this is a technical grammar term.
adverb
pronominally
In a way that functions as a pronoun; this is uncommon outside language study.
Related words
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Student support
Understand Pronoun
Hint for students
Look for a word that points to a person, thing, place, or idea without repeating the full noun phrase.
Common mix-up
A pronoun does not always replace a noun already written in the sentence; its referent can be understood from context. Make each referent clear, and use a person's stated pronouns when referring to that person.
Try it in class or at home
Give pairs of sentences with repeated nouns, clear pronouns, and ambiguous pronouns. Students replace repetition where helpful, circle each pronoun, draw an arrow to its referent, and revise any sentence with two possible referents.
Teacher prompt
In the model sentence “Riley lent Jordan the book because they needed it,” identify each pronoun and explain why the referent of they could be unclear.
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Learning activities
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