Using Miss or Ms. appropriately to address women is displaying good etiquettes. However, most of us get confused about the right usage of the two words. So, what is the difference between the two words and what is the right way to use them?

Pronunciation

Miss is pronounced as /ˈmɪs/. It should end with the sound of ‘s’.

Ms. is pronounced as /ˈmɪz/, but also appears variously as /mɨz/, /məz/. It should end with the ‘z’ sound.

Origin

Originally Miss was always used for young and unmarried women and Mrs. was used for married women.

The word Ms. actually has an origin. Its usage first began in the 1600s but people began to use it more in the 1970s. This was a time when more women had begun joining the workforce.

In the workplace, there was no way to identify a man’s marital status because Mr. was commonly used for both single and married men. Women too wanted a similar title that would not reveal their marital status and thus, the usage of Ms. Became popular.

Is it about being married or unmarried?

Traditionally we understand that the honorific Miss is used for unmarried women and Mrs. is used for married women but Ms. can be used by both. Even though most women will take their husband’s last name after marriage, some prefer to continue using their own last name and prefer to be addressed as Ms.

Age factor

One of the best ways to define its usage is to use Miss or Ms. according to the age of the woman one is addressing.

Miss is appropriate when the lady/girl you are addressing is below the age of 18. Ms. is perfect to address women that are above 18, especially over 30. Traditionally this is what proper etiquettes say!

Addressing as Miss or Ms. also depends on the society that one is interacting with. Customs, religion and traditions also play an important way in how men and women are addressed in different societies. But we should remember that times have changed and we no longer live in outmoded societies where everybody has to be formal.

Men and women like to be addressed by their names and the use of Mr. Miss Mrs. or Ms. isn’t a big thing. The exceptions, however, are educational institutes, political offices and workplace where emails are frequently used and addressing people the right way is an etiquette that one should be unquestionably good at.