TKG English Learner's Dictionary

her

2 entries: pronoun · determiner

herpronoun

American /hɜr/ British /hɜː/ In fast, connected speech her is often reduced to a quick, weak sound close to er, especially right after a verb (tell her); said alone or for emphasis, it is pronounced fully, hur.
very commondefining vocabulary

  1. used as the object of a verb or preposition to refer to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned or clear from context

    Her is the object form; the subject form is she. The same word, her, is also the possessive determiner before a noun (her book), a separate entry; the independent possessive, used without a following noun, is hers.

    Compare him

Word family

Usage

Her is both the object pronoun (I saw her) and the possessive determiner before a noun (her book); the independent possessive, standing alone without a noun, is the different word hers (this book is hers).

Common mistakes

Her is my friend. She is my friend.
Her is not used as the subject of a sentence; the subject pronoun is she.

See also her (the possessive, directly before a noun: her book); hers (the independent possessive, used without a noun: this is hers); she (the subject form)

For translators

Grammar trap English pronouns change form for subject, object, and possessive (she, her, her/hers); many languages use one form for all three.

herdeterminer

American /hɜr/? British /hɜː/ The panel favored the weak, unstressed form; CMU agrees with the stressed citation form recorded here, which is kept (see provenance.flags).
very commondefining vocabulary

  1. belonging to a woman or girlbelonging to or connected with a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

    Her goes directly before a noun and does not change for a plural noun: her book, her books. Do not confuse it with hers, which stands alone without a following noun (this book is hers), or with her used as an object pronoun (I saw her), a separate entry.

    • Kim left her jacket at the office.
    • Ana and her brother are visiting next week.
    • The dog wagged her tail happily.
    • I borrowed her umbrella by mistake.

    Compare their

Word family

Usage

Her never changes for number: her book, her books. The same word, her, is also the object pronoun (I saw her); the independent possessive, used without a following noun, is a different word, hers (this is hers).

Common mistakes

This is her. This is hers.
Without a following noun, use hers; her always needs a noun after it.
Her is my friend. She is my friend.
Her is not used as the subject of a sentence; the subject pronoun is she.

See also his; her (the object pronoun: I saw her)

For translators

Grammar trap Her stays the same before a singular or plural noun and does not agree with the noun's own gender or number, unlike the possessive forms of many other languages.
Pronunciation trap In fast, connected speech her is often reduced to a quick, weak sound close to er, especially right after a verb (tell her); said alone or for emphasis, it is pronounced fully, hur.