# How do you spell " Mrs. "........ **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 4, 2003, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-spell-mrs/192827 "2003-08-04T03:26:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![flabbygirlyman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/45deac/32.png) [@flabbygirlyman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flabbygirlyman)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2003, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-spell-mrs/192827/1 "2003-08-04T03:26:55Z")
and why is this word always written as an abreviation. Presumably this word is derived from “mistress” and that is all well and good since language is forever changing , but shouldn’t a word be spellable ? ---
**Author:** ![BuckleberryFerry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/5f9b8f/32.png) [@BuckleberryFerry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BuckleberryFerry)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2003, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-spell-mrs/192827/2 "2003-08-04T03:30:42Z")
I believe it’s “missus” if you’re spelling it. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2003, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-spell-mrs/192827/3 "2003-08-04T03:38:40Z")
Not quite. It’s actually an abbreviation for “ **M** ist **r** es **s** ”. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2003, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-spell-mrs/192827/4 "2003-08-04T03:40:23Z")
Ah, nevermind. The OP wanted to know how to spell the pronunciation of “Mrs.”. What **Ms. Ferry** said, then. ---
**Author:** ![Blonde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@Blonde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blonde)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2003, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-spell-mrs/192827/5 "2003-08-04T04:06:10Z")
“The oddest user names in a thread award” goes to … The 1st two posters! It is pronounced “missus” – Ms. would be “mzz”. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2003, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-spell-mrs/192827/6 "2003-08-04T04:29:34Z")
I learned this in elementary school! It’s spelled “Misses” – not “Missus,” not “Mistress” – and it CAN be written out – e.g., “Here’s to you, Misses Robinson.” A more challenging question: How do you spell “Ms.”? I’ve never seen it written except in abbreviated form. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2003, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-spell-mrs/192827/7 "2003-08-04T04:50:44Z")
Isn’t it just “Miss?” ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2003, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-spell-mrs/192827/8 "2003-08-04T05:17:16Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by BrainGlutton \* > **I learned this in elementary school! It’s spelled “Misses” – not “Missus,” not “Mistress” – and it CAN be written out – e.g., "Here’s to you, Misses Robinson."** Methinks someone got mixed up here. “Missis,” and alternatively “missus” are in the dictionary as informal or colloquial spellings of “Mrs.,” but “misses” is only the plural of “miss.” One might refer to “the Misses Robinson” when talking about both Miss Jane Robinson and Miss Judy Robinson, but it does not mean Mrs. Robinson. > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Marley23 \* > **Isn’t it just "Miss?"** No, “Miss” is its own form of address, lacking a standard abbreviation like “Mrs.” or “Mr.” ---
**Author:** ![Br\_er\_Lapin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e79b87/32.png) [@Br\_er\_Lapin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Br_er_Lapin)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2003, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-spell-mrs/192827/9 "2003-08-04T05:59:12Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by BrainGlutton \* > \*\*I learned this in elementary school! It’s spelled “Misses” – not “Missus,” not “Mistress” – and it CAN be written out – e.g., “Here’s to you, Misses Robinson.” > > A more challenging question: How do you spell “Ms.”? I’ve never seen it written except in abbreviated form. \*\* I had a teacher in highschool that made everyone call her Ms \_\_\_\_, and also write it on all of our papers. She insisted that it was just Ms, not an abbreviation, and would take points off if we put a period after it. But she also ripped up our textbooks because they were “sexist” so who the hell knows if she was right or not. ---
**Author:** ![Andy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/aeb1de/32.png) [@Andy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2003, 7:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-spell-mrs/192827/10 "2003-08-04T07:25:19Z")
So if you’re talking about two people called Mrs are they the Mrss? 😉 I know, it’s mesdames. ---
**Author:** ![Desmostylus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c57346/32.png) [@Desmostylus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Desmostylus)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2003, 8:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-spell-mrs/192827/11 "2003-08-04T08:21:01Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Gary T \* > **One might refer to “the Misses Robinson” when talking about both Miss Jane Robinson and Miss Judy Robinson, but it does not mean Mrs. Robinson.** Surely you mean: One might refer to “the Misses Robinson” when talking about both Miss _Penny_ Robinson and Miss Judy Robinson, but it does not mean _Maureen_. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![moriah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b2d939/32.png) [@moriah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moriah)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2003, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-spell-mrs/192827/12 "2003-08-05T00:58:36Z")
[The Columbia Guide to Standard American English](http://www.bartleby.com/68/70/3970.html) on Mrs., Missis, missis, Missus, missus. And on [Ms., Ms](http://www.bartleby.com/68/72/3972.html). ## Peace. Miss the Missis?