heshe

Heshe is a nonstandard linguistic construction that combines the English pronouns he and she into a single token. It has appeared in online discussions and some academic writings as a hypothetical or illustrative pronoun intended to represent gender ambiguity or to challenge binary gender categorization. It is not recognized by major dictionaries or widely used in everyday language.

In practice, heshe is rarely used in formal writing and is considered nonstandard by most style guides. When encountered, it is typically presented as an experimental or provocative form rather than a mainstream pronoun. Some writers have discussed heshe in the context of gender inclusivity or as a teaching tool to illustrate pronoun ambiguity, while others view it as confusing or inappropriate for practical communication.

Reception of the term is mixed. Critics argue that heshe can obscure or erase the identities of people who do not identify with a binary gender, and that it may be difficult to use consistently in sentences. Advocates of inclusive language generally favor established alternatives such as singular they or explicit use of preferred pronouns (they/them, she/her, he/him, or neopronouns).

Origin and usage remain limited and somewhat obscure. The term appears sporadically in internet discourse and small-scale academic discussions from the late 1990s onward, but it has not gained mainstream traction and is largely encountered as a linguistic curiosity rather than a standard practice. See also pronouns, singular they, neopronouns, gender-inclusive language.