Mr., Mrs., Ms., and Miss: How to Use Titles Correctly (Every Time)
#终于知道为什么Mr Mrs发音的来源了~~困惑我好几年的问题终于得到解决
The answer to how to use titles for men and women effectively lies at
the junction between business etiquette, social graces, and personal
preferences. A man always goes by "Mr." or "Mister" regardless of his
marital status, whereas how you refer to a woman can offend some, so
it’s best to ask if you’re unsure.
Let’s look at the official definition for using each title. Then we’ll look at ways you can stumble and how to avoid them.
How to Refer to Men and Boys
Since this is the most straightforward category without means of offending anyone, let’s start here.
Always use "Mr." when referring to a man, regardless if he’s married
or not. Historically and today, men need not worry about marriage
changing the way they’re addressed.
Some refer to young boys as "Master," but it’s never used for adult
men. So if you’re addressing an invitation for a birthday party to an
8-year-old boy, it’s okay to address it to: "Master [First Name] [Last
Name]."
Otherwise, address adult men as "Mister" or "Mr." Always use the
abbreviation "Mr" (British) or "Mr." (US) when you’re using it as a
title.
How to Refer to Women and Girls
First, a historical perspective might shed light on how far we’ve come with titles for women.
Historically, you referred to men as "Mister" and used the feminine
form "Mistress" for women, which didn’t reveal if a woman was married or
not. We don't use that term today, and it's evolved into several
contractions to distinguish marital status.
In fact, in the United States, "mistress" today describes a woman having an affair with a married man, so be careful!
Today, we use "Miss" for young girls or unmarried women. "Mrs." is the abbreviation of "missus" and refers to married women.
"Ms." came about in the 1950s as women sought to differentiate
themselves from being known by their marital status, and it gained in
stature in the 1970s. Today, it’s more common to refer to a woman as
"Ms." regardless of her marital status.
When to use "Miss"
We refer to young girls as "Miss." It’s sometimes safe to call women
in their 20s "Miss," but always try to determine their preference for
titles before using them in correspondence or in introductions.
When to use "Ms."
You can rarely go wrong with addressing a woman as "Ms." Since women
today need not be distinguished by their marital status, addressing a
grown woman as "Ms." is safer than "Miss" or "Mrs." However, it’s in
your best interests to ask a woman about her preferred title, especially
if you’re unsure of her marital status.
When to use "Mrs."
As well as being used for married women, some widowed or divorced
women still refer to themselves as "Mrs." You can’t assume that someone
using the title "Mrs." has a spouse; they just might want to still be
referred to as "Mrs." Especially for older, widowed women, it might
offend them if you addressed them as "Ms."
Your Titles Cheatsheet
Use the cheatsheet below for quick reference while you’re writng:
Always Ask Women If You’re Unsure
The above are guidelines that can help give you a starting point
regarding how a particular female might want addressed. But it
eventually falls on personal preference, which you can only know if you
ask.
Understanding when to use "Miss," "Ms." and "Mrs." can help you avoid
misunderstandings and offending some women. How women identify
themselves reveals how they think about their identity and sense of
self. Since there is no hard and fast rule to help you figure this out,
proper etiquette requires you to ask.
Titles: UK vs. US rules
British and American titles differ in one singular way:
British titles do not include a period after:Mr,Mrs,Ms
American titles include a period after:Mr.,Mrs.,Ms.
If you’re writing for an American audience, let ProWritingAid remind you if you miss out the period after a title
https://prowritingaid.com/art/968/mr%2C-mrs%2C-ms-and-miss%3A-everything-you-need-to-know-about-titles.aspx
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