Heres How to Know the Difference Between Miss, Mrs., and Ms.

Heres How to Know the Difference Between Miss, Mrs., and Ms. Dear Mrs. Galloway, You begin the letter simply enough but the reader on the other end only rolls her eyes, laughing, and somewhat annoyed at the incorrect use of the title Mrs.. That response is not even close to what you wanted for your communication, but theres a reason for it: Shes 17 years old and isnt planning to get married anytime in the near future.Knowing the correct way to address someone in a letter or phone call is not only a good idea- its a way to ensure that the purpose of your letter or call isnt overshadowed by potential offense to the recipient. Small slights in communication etiquette can make a difficult situation even worse if youre trying to resolve it via written communication or a telephone call.For example, its a common misconception that Miss and Ms. mean the same thing. Or that all women can be referred to as Miss or Mrs. These titles have three entirely different connotations and anyone who uses them should know the difference between the three- especiall y if they perform a job or function that requires a lot of written and verbal communication skills.So, lets look at the meaning of each title and how to determine if it should be used to correctly address the recipient of your letter or phone call. A simple review, such as the one offered here, can save you time and stress, and help ensure your communication efforts happen as smoothly as possible.Its important to correctly address the recipient of your letter with the correct title. Photo by John-Mark Smith from Pexels.Using Miss correctlyWhen preceding a name, Miss is used to respectfully address an unmarried woman. It can also be used alone, without a name preceding it, to address her. The correct way to pronounce this title is [Mis] (rhymes with this).Youll also see the term used as a tease or reference to a womans personality traits, such as Miss Perfect or Miss Manners, although this use of the word is not considered to be formal.ExamplesMiss Myers, please contact our office as soon as possible.Excuse me Miss, but I think you left something behind.She acts like Miss Know-it-all but is mostly unaware.Settings in which you will use MissIn a formal setting, it is best to use Miss in front of an unmarried womans last name (surname). Some common examples of formal settings include business interactions, professional communication with business associates or employers, addressing someone in a position of authority, addressing someone you dont know personally, etc.). Slightly less formal is the use of Miss in front of an unmarried womans first (given) name, and this should only be done if you have permission to do so. In many cases, if a woman does not wish to be referred to in a formal manner, she will let you know: Oh, you can just call me [name].However, it is acceptable and polite to simply use Miss when verbally addressing a stranger whose name you dont know, but this is not typically done in written communication. For example, if you encounter a woman (of any age) on the street who has dropped her scarf, you could get her attention by saying: Excuse me, Miss. Is this yours?In informal settings (such as friends, close acquaintances, and family members, etc.), using Miss in front of a word that describes the person to whom youre referring is acceptable, although be careful- you can still hurt someones feelings if the descriptive word is not a compliment. For example, Miss know-it-all is a commonly used expression to refer (in a somewhat derogatory manner) to a woman who corrects others often.Using Mrs. CorrectlyMrs., when preceding a name, is a title used to respectfully address a married woman. It is similar to the use of Miss in that it is most often used along with a womans surname. In the past, it has been used along with the husbands first and last name to refer to his wife (Mrs. Donald Smith), but this practice is considered outdated. Some women might even take offense in it, so it is best to avoid it if possible.The correct way to pronounce this title is [Missus] (rhymes with miss us). In fact, youll often see the title spelled out as Missis, Missus, or Mizzus in dialogue, to denote exactly how a character pronounces it.ExamplesMrs. Jones owns the floral shop down the road.I think youre a wonderful person, Mrs. Annette.Ill ask the missus what she thinks of having dinner tomorrow night.Settings in which you will use Mrs.In a formal setting, such as in a business or professional context, you will likely use Mrs. before a married womans last name to address her politely. As with Miss, you can also use Mrs. before a married womans first name, but you should wait for permission or an invitation to do so.However, very rarely will you see Mrs. or Missus used alone, without a surname or given name following it. When it is used alone, it is usually mentioned in an informal way, such as a friend asking another friend: Are you and the missus joining us for dinner? This is another way that Mrs. differs from Miss.Using Ms. correctlyIf you are unsure about a womans marital status and are addressing her in written communication, Ms. is the preferred title to use. Think of it as the opposite of Mr., which is used to refer to a man, regardless of his marital status. The correct way to pronounce this title is [Miz] (rhymes with fizz).ExamplesDear Ms. Jenner,Ms. Lyle is the new principal of Belleview High SchoolSettings in which you will use Ms.As stated earlier, Ms. is the preferred term in written communication to refer respectfully to women whose married status is unknown. In this sense, many editors and journalists will use this term to cover their tracks in case Miss or Mrs. Is incorrect.As with Mrs., the use of Ms. as a standalone word is not typical.Getting around all three termsSpeaking of editing and journalism, a recent trend in many publications has been to use the first and last name of the woman without including either of the three titles (Miss, Mrs., or Ms.). However, this is not as acce ptable in spoken communication, where Miss, Mrs., and Ms. are still preferable (as long as the right one is used.