{"id":149278,"date":"2020-10-26T23:53:45","date_gmt":"2020-10-27T03:53:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/learn\/gender-in-english\/"},"modified":"2025-01-16T23:32:46","modified_gmt":"2025-01-17T04:32:46","slug":"gender-in-english","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/english\/gender-in-english\/","title":{"rendered":"Guide to Gender in English Grammar"},"content":{"rendered":"

Understanding how gender works in English is crucial for proper communication. This is especially true when it comes to pronouns as well as certain nouns and titles.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Fortunately, English has a much simpler gender system compared to many other languages. This guide will walk you through all the basics of gender in English grammar.
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What is Gender in English Grammar?\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n

English primarily uses gender in pronouns<\/b><\/a> (e.g., he, she, they) and certain gendered nouns<\/b> (e.g., actor\/actress) and titles <\/b>(e.g., Mr., Mrs.).<\/p>\n

English nouns can be classified as masculine, feminine, neuter or common. Neuter nouns refer to objects without gender (e.g., table, car), which comprise the majority of nouns in English. Common gender nouns can be either male or female (e.g., teacher, doctor).\u00a0<\/p>\n

English pronouns can be masculine, feminine or gender-neutral. Unlike some languages with more complex gender systems<\/a>, you won’t have to worry about using gendered adjectives or articles in English.<\/p>\n

Gendered Nouns<\/b><\/h2>\n

English nouns can be categorized based on gender, though this distinction is not as strict or extensive as in some other languages. The main categories are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t
Gender<\/th>Description<\/th>Examples<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Masculine<\/td>Refers to male persons or animals<\/td> boy <\/a>\n
\n dad <\/a>\n
\n uncle <\/a>\n
\n king <\/a>\n
\n bull <\/a>\n <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Feminine<\/td>Refers to female persons or animals<\/td> girl <\/a>\n
\n mom <\/a>\n
\n aunt <\/a>\n
\n queen <\/a>\n
\n cow <\/a>\n <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Common<\/td>Refers to persons or animals that can be either male or female<\/td> child <\/a>\n
\n artist <\/a>\n
\n friend <\/a>\n
\n pilot <\/a>\n
\n cat <\/a>\n <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Neuter<\/td>Refers to inanimate objects, abstract concepts or animals of unspecified gender <\/td> table <\/a>\n
\n car <\/a>\n
\n love <\/a>\n
\n tree <\/a>\n
\n fish <\/a>\n <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n

As you can see, some nouns have a masculine and feminine version. Here are some more examples of this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t
Masculine<\/th>Feminine<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
man <\/a>\n <\/td> woman <\/a>\n <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
father <\/a>\n <\/td> mother <\/a>\n <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
son <\/a>\n <\/td> daughter <\/a>\n <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
brother <\/a>\n <\/td> sister <\/a>\n <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
husband <\/a>\n <\/td> wife <\/a>\n <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
groom <\/a>\n <\/td> bride <\/a>\n <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
prince <\/a>\n <\/td> princess <\/a>\n <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
sir <\/a>\n <\/td> madam <\/a>\n <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
gentleman <\/a>\n <\/td> lady <\/a>\n <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
god <\/a>\n <\/td> goddess <\/a>\n <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
duke <\/a>\n <\/td> duchess <\/a>\n <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
wizard <\/a>\n <\/td> witch <\/a>\n <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n

Gender in Professional Titles<\/b><\/h3>\n

Many professional titles can be used for males and females. For example:<\/p>\n

\u2022 lawyer
\n\u2022 doctor
\n\u2022 accountant
\n\u2022 bank teller
\n\u2022 teacher
\n\u2022 professor
\n\u2022 singer
\n\u2022 musician<\/p>\n

Other professional titles have a masculine and feminine version. Many of these gendered titles use the suffix<\/a> “man” or “woman” to indicate gender.\u00a0<\/p>\n

While some of these gendered terms are still in use, there’s a growing preference for gender-neutral terms. Next to the gendered titles below, you’ll see the gender-neutral alternatives that often replace them.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t
Masculine<\/th>Feminine<\/th>Gender-neutral<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
policeman <\/a>\n <\/td> policewoman <\/a>\n <\/td> police officer <\/a>\n <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
salesman <\/a>\n <\/td> saleswoman <\/a>\n <\/td> salesperson <\/a>\n
\n sales associate <\/a>\n <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
businessman <\/a>\n <\/td> businesswoman <\/a>\n <\/td> businessperson <\/a>\n
\n entrepreneur <\/a>\n <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
chairman <\/a>\n <\/td> chairwoman <\/a>\n <\/td> chair <\/a>\n
\n chairperson <\/a>\n <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
postman <\/a>\n <\/td> postwoman <\/a>\n <\/td> post officer <\/a>\n <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
foreman <\/a>\n <\/td> forewoman <\/a>\n <\/td> foreperson <\/a>\n <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
fireman <\/a>\n <\/td> firewoman <\/a>\n <\/td> firefighter <\/a>\n <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
congressman <\/a>\n <\/td> congresswoman <\/a>\n <\/td> member of Congress <\/a>\n
\n legislator <\/a>\n <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
landlord <\/a>\n <\/td> landlady <\/a>\n <\/td> property owner <\/a>\n <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
anchorman <\/a>\n <\/td> anchorwoman <\/a>\n <\/td> news anchor <\/a>\n <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n

Another method English uses to distinguish men and women is by adding the suffix “-ess”<\/b> to the masculine form to make it feminine.<\/p>\n

You may have noticed this suffix on some of the gendered nouns we went over earlier, such as “princess” and “goddess.”\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t
Masculine<\/th>Feminine<\/th>Gender-neutral<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
actor <\/a>\n <\/td> actress <\/a>\n <\/td>actor <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
waiter <\/a>\n <\/td> waitress <\/a>\n <\/td>waiter or server <\/a>\n <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
host <\/a>\n <\/td> hostess <\/a>\n <\/td>host<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
steward <\/a>\n <\/td> stewardess <\/a>\n <\/td> flight attendant <\/a>\n <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
headmaster <\/a>\n <\/td> headmistress <\/a>\n <\/td> headteacher <\/a>\n <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n

As you can see, for some job titles such as “actor” and “host,” the form that was traditionally masculine is now being used for any gender.<\/p>\n

Gender in Courtesy Titles\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n

Beyond occupations, there are also traditional gendered titles<\/b> that are sometimes used to address people in formal contexts. These go before a person’s last name or full name and are often used in professional writing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t
Title<\/th>Used for<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Mr. <\/a>\n (short for \"Mister\")<\/td>men, regardless of marital status<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Mrs. <\/a>\n (short for \"Missus\")<\/td>married women
\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Miss <\/a>\n <\/td>unmarried women<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Ms. <\/a>\n <\/td>women, regardless of marital status<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n

In modern times, some people have started using the more inclusive title Mx.<\/b>, which doesn’t indicate marital status or gender.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Gendered Terms for Animals\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n

There are many names for animals that have two forms, one for males and one for females<\/b>. Bear in mind that in some cases, the gender-neutral word used to refer to the whole group is a third, different noun (like “horse”).<\/p>\n

Other times, the whole group is usually referred to with the male form (“lion”) and, in very few cases, the feminine is used for the whole group (“duck”).\u00a0 You’ll see that, again, the “-ess” suffix is often used for the feminine form.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t
Animal<\/th>Male<\/th>Female<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
chicken <\/a>\n <\/td> rooster <\/a>\n <\/td> hen <\/a>\n <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
cattle <\/a>\n <\/td> bull <\/a>\n <\/td> cow <\/a>\n <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
horse <\/a>\n <\/td> stallion <\/a>\n <\/td> mare <\/a>\n <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
dog <\/a>\n <\/td> dog <\/a>\n <\/td> bitch <\/a>\n <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
cat <\/a>\n <\/td> tom <\/a>\n <\/td> queen <\/a>\n <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
pig <\/a>\n <\/td> boar <\/a>\n <\/td> sow <\/a>\n <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
deer <\/a>\n <\/td> buck <\/a>\n <\/td> doe <\/a>\n <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
goat <\/a>\n <\/td> billy <\/a>\n <\/td> doe <\/a>\n <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
sheep <\/a>\n <\/td> ram <\/a>\n <\/td> ewe <\/a>\n <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
lion <\/a>\n <\/td> lion <\/a>\n <\/td> lioness <\/a>\n <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
tiger <\/a>\n <\/td> tiger <\/a>\n <\/td> tigress <\/a>\n <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n

Again, some of these terms aren’t commonly known. For example, not many people know that female cats are technically called “queens.”<\/p>\n

Gendered Pronouns<\/b><\/h2>\n

Pronouns in English reflect the gender of the nouns they replace. The most commonly used gendered pronouns are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t
Gender<\/th>Used for<\/th>Pronouns<\/th>Example<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Masculine<\/td>males<\/td> he <\/a>\n
\n him <\/a>\n
\n his <\/a>\n <\/td>		 John said he<\/b> would help.<\/i> <\/a>\n <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Feminine <\/td>females<\/td> she <\/a>\n
\n her <\/a>\n
\n hers <\/a>\n <\/td>		 Mary loves her<\/b> new coat.<\/i> <\/a>\n <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Neuter<\/td>objects or things without gender and for animals when gender is unknown<\/td> it <\/a>\n
\n its <\/a>\n <\/td>		 The dog is cute. It<\/b>'s very playful.<\/i> <\/a>\n <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Gender-Neutral\/Non-Binary
\n<\/td>		individuals who don't identify strictly as male or female and when the gender is unknown<\/td> they <\/a>\n
\n them <\/a>\n
\n their <\/a>\n
\n<\/td>		 Sam said they<\/b> would bring their own lunch.<\/i> <\/a>\n <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n

We use masculine pronouns to refer to masculine nouns (typically people). For example:<\/p>\n

The boy<\/strong> is very smart. He<\/strong><\/em> always gets good grades in school.<\/em><\/p>\n

In the same way, we use feminine pronouns to refer to feminine nouns:<\/p>\n

My mom<\/strong> loves to read. She<\/strong> always has a book in her<\/strong> hand.<\/em><\/p>\n

The same goes for neuter objects and neuter pronouns:<\/p>\n

Our car<\/strong> is really old. We bought it<\/strong> 20 years ago.<\/em><\/p>\n

If a person identifies as non-binary (or doesn’t identify as either male or female), we can use gender-neutral pronouns to refer to them. You may hear people introduce themselves with their preferred pronouns so you know how to refer to them.<\/p>\n

Gender-neutral or non-binary pronouns are the same ones we use for multiple people in the third person. For example:<\/p>\n

My friends<\/strong> are really funny. They<\/strong> always make me laugh.<\/em><\/p>\n

When used as gender-neutral pronouns, “they” can also be used to refer to one person. We use the same verb forms that we use for a group of people. For example:<\/p>\n

My friend Mae<\/strong> is non-binary. They<\/strong> live next door to me.<\/em><\/p>\n

Gender-neutral Language<\/b><\/h2>\n

English is increasingly embracing gender-neutral language<\/a>. For example, you may hear or see it when someone is talking or writing about a non-specified person or people in general.<\/p>\n

Say someone’s talking about what a student should do if they need help at school. This student could be male, female or non-binary. Historically, it’s been most common to use masculine pronouns to refer to the hypothetical student. For example:<\/p>\n

If a student needs help, he<\/strong> should ask the teacher.<\/em><\/p>\n

However, it’s becoming more common to use gender-neutral pronouns instead. For example:<\/p>\n

If a student needs help, they<\/strong> should ask the teacher.<\/em><\/p>\n

This makes it clear that the student could be any gender and doesn’t leave anybody out.\u00a0<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

While English has fewer gender distinctions than many other languages, knowing how to use gendered and gender-neutral words correctly is essential. You can get exposed to gender in English grammar with an immersive language learning program like FluentU<\/a>.

FluentU<\/strong> takes authentic videos\u2014like music videos, movie trailers, news and inspiring talks\u2014and turns them into personalized language learning lessons.<\/p>\r\n

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