Difference Between Miss and Ms

The English language is quite unique in the sense that there are terms which mean almost the same with very small variance in what they mean. This makes us confused as to when to use which term. Let us take an example of the terms that we will discuss now. How many people really know what is the difference between miss and ms? A lot of us make a grave mistake by using it in a context where it should not be used. It has led to many problems which could have been otherwise avoided. It would been better if we knew the terms meant and used in the correct sense.

There are many such instances where we use the wrong terms, and which led to some confusion. We would like to ensure that we speak correctly and ensure there is no error in what we speak or write. In this article, we will discuss about what is the difference between ms and miss.

Definition of Miss

Miss is the term that is used to honour a woman who is yet to get married. It was used mainly in medieval England to depict women who were unmarried and those girls who were under the age to get married. In some parts of the globe, the word is being used for a teacher in the lower classes; viz. kindergarten and nursery. It is also used in the business world when addressing other women colleagues. It is also used in the business world. Sometimes it is also fine if we only address the person as miss if we do not know their name.

There are also some contests where it is used to depict the winner of the contest; e.g. – Miss Universe or Miss Asia Pacific. These are beauty pageants that glorify the beauty of women.

Definition of Ms

Ms is the term that is used when we do not know the marital status of the woman whom we are referring to when speaking. The term was used more since the 1970s. It is typically not used without the name of the woman. The term was being used similarly with the words to honour males. It was being used even before we had women on the board rooms of the large corporates. It is used in a manner that is similar to the term miss.

When we know about what’s the difference between miss and ms; we must know that it is mainly about the marital status of the person we were referring to when mentioning. There are also some schools of thought that say that if the woman keeps her maiden name after marriage, they are referred to as Ms.

Miss vs Ms Comparison Table

Let us have a look at the difference between miss and ms in a tabular form.

Conclusion of the Main Difference Between Miss vs Ms

As of now, we were learning about what’s the difference between ms and miss. What we have seen is the variance lies in the fact that we will use miss if we do not have any idea about the marital status of the woman. If the woman is married, we will use miss. We hope that we were able to remove misconception that our readers be having.