It is a formal and appropriate way of greeting someone when approached, making a request, asking for a favor, and many others.
Key Takeaways
- “Mrs.” is a title used to address a married woman, while “Ms.” addresses a woman regardless of her marital status.
- “Mrs.” is used in formal and traditional settings, while “Ms.” is used in more modern and informal settings.
- “Ms.” is used to avoid revealing a woman’s marital status or to avoid assumptions about her marital status.
Mrs vs Ms
Mrs. is a title used as a form of address for a married woman, preceding her surname or first name. The term originated as an abbreviation for the word “mistress.” Ms. is a neutral title used to address a woman whose marital status is unknown or who prefers not to reveal it.
It is a word that originated from British English, but along the other side, Mrs. is also used for the same purpose, but the difference between the two is that it is originally from American English.
The significance of the salutation is that it has been used for women under 25 years of age or women who are single or unmarried or can be used for married women.
Comparison Table
| Parameters of Comparison | Mrs | Ms |
|---|---|---|
| Plural Form | Plural form of Mrs is ‘Mesdames’ | Plural form of Ms is ‘Mss.’ or ‘Mses’ |
| Definition | Salutation for women married | Salutation for women under 25 years of age, single, unmarried, or married |
| Usage | When the marital status of the woman is known or is at the higher post and is married. | When the marital status of the women is unknown or nevertheless is irrelevant. |
| Pronunciation | Misses | Mizzes |
| Equivalence | Mr. | Master |
What is Mrs?
It is a word that has been used forever since the existence of the language.
The definition of the word, according to the dictionary, is that it is the term used for women that are married. For using the word ‘Mrs,’ the status of the marriage must be known to the second or the third person.
Also, it is not a compulsion to always use the salutation of the word ‘Mrs’ with the first name or surname because if someone has another salutation like – Dr, Professor, Lady, Dame, etc., they must be used to neglect the ‘Mrs’ salutation with the name.
What is Ms?
It is a word that has been used verbally and in written and is a very common practice.
The complete and proper definition of the word ‘Ms’ is that the term is used for women irrespective of their marital status in society.
Also, the same is with the ‘Ms’ salutation that if someone carries an additional salutation like – Dr, Professor, Lady, Dame, etc., they must be used instead of using the word ‘Ms’ with the name.
Main Differences Between Mrs and Ms
- The pronunciation of the word ‘Mrs’ is ‘misses’ whereas comparatively, on the other hand, the pronunciation of the word ‘Ms’ is ‘mizzes’.
- The salutation ‘Mrs’ is equivalent to the other word ‘Mr’ whereas comparatively, on the other hand, the salutation ‘Ms’ is equivalent to the other word ‘Master.’
- https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/mrm.25352
- https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF00287454
Last Updated : 17 August, 2023
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Emma Smith holds an MA degree in English from Irvine Valley College. She has been a Journalist since 2002, writing articles on the English language, Sports, and Law. Read more about me on her bio page.
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