[ben Shunamit]

I know nothing about Michigan.

When I was a child in the early fifties in North Carolina, Miz was used for Miss or Mrs., particularly if one did not know which was appropriate. AFAIK, Ms. did not exist at that time.

[K12144]

I've always heard it pronounced as "mizz." In my experience, "miss" is used only for children (as a cutesy way of making them feel grown-up, like if you write your young niece a letter addressed to "Miss Sue Smith"), which means I've been disconcerted in recent years when people have called me "miss" (I am well past the days of childhood, or even past the days when most women are still single and thus might still be "miss"). But, I've noticed it's not just me, so I guess "ma'am" has fallen out of favor. (For some reason, some people think it implies they're old, whereas to me it's just the female equivalent of "sir"-- the polite thing you call a woman when you don't know her name. Since "miss" feels infantilizing to me, though, and has the possible implication that someone might look at a woman and decide she must be single, I don't see how it's any better. I'm not sure where "ma'am" is only used for old ladies-- then what are younger women called in those areas? Just nothing?)

Seems to me that dropping "Mrs." and "Miss" in favor of the universal use of "Ms." is a good idea-- then no one has to guess at someone else's marital status.

(Of course, I could just instruct people to call me as they do in Thailand-- madAME, which sort of has its own charm. )

[DubbleT]

Michigan native here. Grew up pronouncing them mizz miss, and misses. MS was a new fangled idea back then, got you a lot of side eye if you were bold enough to use it.

[Cida]

Originally Posted by michigan91

Hi,

I am thinking about the words featured in the title. Apparently, a lot of people pronounce 'Ms.' as 'mizz'. I have no memory of learning this pronounciation in school, and moreover, I don't recall anyone in my life using 'mizz' while growing up. To me 'mizz' sounds very southern. I do remember learning all of the female prefixes, but I seem to remember being taught (and my experience reflects) that 'Miss' and 'Ms.' both just sound like 'miss'.

As a native Michigander, or as a Michigan migrant, what is your opinion on this lingustic matter?

Feeling at a loss about this because a decent number of people online are in apparent agreement that 'Ms.' should be pronouced as 'mizz' and I feel like my life experience is being retroactively marked wrong.

I don't think there's anything regional about it. "Miz" is the accepted pronunciation.

It feels southern to you because southern accents sometimes slurred things, so that, yes, "Missus" became "Miz" and "You all" becane "Y'all."

[upnorthretiree]

Grew up in Michigan and Illinois (baby boomer) and it was always pronounced Miz when I heard it. Never heard it pronounced Miss. Not to say that wasn’t your experience, but I never encountered it in mine.

[warchildbosnia]

I've only ever called it mizz, but take into account that I am circa 1984.