Pronouns are words or phrases that can be substituted for a noun or noun phrase. They are used to make communication faster and more efficient because you don’t have to repeat the same word over and over again. Pronouns can replace both proper and common nouns. In English, pronouns are gendered, which means that the pronouns we use often refer to that person’s gender. However, because we can’t always tell someone’s gender just from looking at them, we can’t really know what pronouns to use for someone until we ask them. Some examples of pronouns include "he/him," "she/her," "they/them," and "ze/hir". Pronouns are part of someone’s gender expression, and people can have multiple sets of pronouns for themselves. Pronouns are not “preferred” but instead are required for respectful communication.