Distinguishing Between Miss & Ms

Miss vs Ms

In today’s society, understanding the difference between Miss and Ms is essential, as these terms are used in everyday life and during social calls. While Mr is used to address men, both Miss and Ms are used to address women. Miss has been in use for a long time, while Ms is a relatively new term. However, it is the equivalent of Mr because when Ms is used in front of a woman’s name, you can no longer speculate about her marital status. This article will provide a detailed look at the differences between Miss and Ms.

What does Miss mean?

Miss is used to refer to women who are not married or are single. According to the Oxford dictionary, Miss is “a title prefixed to the name of an unmarried woman or girl, or to that of a married woman retaining her maiden name for professional purposes.” A spinster can also be addressed with the title Miss, as a spinster is an unmarried woman. You can never use Miss to address a married woman. For example, “This is Mrs. Smith’s eldest daughter, Miss Arabella.” In this example, we understand that Arabella, the daughter of Mrs. Smith, is still single as the title Miss is used in front of her name. Additionally, Miss is pronounced as mis with an ‘s’ sound at the end.

What does Ms mean?

Unlike Miss, one can use Ms to address both married and unmarried women. That is why it can be considered the equivalent of Mr. Mr does not declare the marital state of the man in front of whose name it stands. In the same manner, Ms does not declare the marital status of the woman in front of whose name it stands. The Oxford dictionary defines Ms as “a title used before the surname or full name of any woman regardless of her marital status (a neutral alternative to Mrs or Miss).” For example, “Here comes Ms. Sarah Parker.” This Ms. Parker could be married or unmarried. If Miss were used in front of her name, we would know she is unmarried. If Mrs were used, we would know she is married. However, because Ms is used in front of her name, one cannot know the marital status of this woman. Moreover, Ms is pronounced as miz with a ‘z’ sound at the end.

What is the difference between Miss and Ms?

It is important to note that Miss and Ms are mere contractions of the term, ‘Mistress.’ Sometimes, women tend to keep their surnames after marriage and may not go by their husbands’ last names. Some women would link their names with their husbands’ names.

Ms was once the working woman’s choice of address. Until the 1970s, the title Mrs was used to denote the wife of the person addressed as Mr in the sense of a relationship that binds them through marriage. As the years passed, the usage of Mrs gradually changed to Ms, and it referred to the married woman. In other words, Mr. John Smith and Mrs. John Smith, who were husband and wife, gradually became addressed as Mr. John Smith and Ms. Jasmine Smith or simply Ms. Jasmine.

There is a difference of opinion among linguists regarding the transformation of Mrs into Ms. Many feel that the usage of Mrs simply died out. They believe that married women can be addressed with the title Ms and not by any other title.

Key Takeaways

• Miss is used to address unmarried females, while Ms is used to address both married and unmarried females.
• Miss is pronounced with an ‘s’ sound, while Ms is pronounced with a ‘z’ sound.
• Ms can be considered the equivalent of Mr, as it does not reveal the marital status of the woman in front of whose name the title is used.