# Mama, Mamma, or Momma: how do you spell it? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 15, 2016, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mama-mamma-or-momma-how-do-you-spell-it/749072 "2016-03-15T15:08:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2016, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mama-mamma-or-momma-how-do-you-spell-it/749072/1 "2016-03-15T15:08:29Z")
I grew up spelling it Mama but increasingly I’m seeing momma and I get autocorrected to Mamma. How do you write it? ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2016, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mama-mamma-or-momma-how-do-you-spell-it/749072/2 "2016-03-15T15:11:27Z")
Mum. ---
**Author:** ![stillownedbysetters](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/41988e/32.png) [@stillownedbysetters](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stillownedbysetters)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2016, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mama-mamma-or-momma-how-do-you-spell-it/749072/3 "2016-03-15T15:36:55Z")
It’s always been ‘mom’ in our family. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2016, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mama-mamma-or-momma-how-do-you-spell-it/749072/4 "2016-03-15T16:05:17Z")
We were raised to call our parents Mama and Papa. By the time we were tweens (although the word didn’t exist then 🙂 ) we thought Papa sounded silly so we called him Pop which persists to today. “Mama” eventually morphed into Mom or Ma (never Mommy). ---
**Author:** ![G0sp3l](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c68b51/32.png) [@G0sp3l](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/G0sp3l)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2016, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mama-mamma-or-momma-how-do-you-spell-it/749072/5 "2016-03-15T16:55:54Z")
I used momma. I grew up in the south. GA to be specific. ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2016, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mama-mamma-or-momma-how-do-you-spell-it/749072/6 "2016-03-15T17:01:00Z")
I spell it (in my head anyway) “mama”. The only time I see it spelled “mamma” is in crossword puzzles when the answer is the play / song “Mamma Mia”. Can’t think offhand if I’ve seen it spelled “momma”. ---
**Author:** ![TheFaerie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c57346/32.png) [@TheFaerie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheFaerie)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2016, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mama-mamma-or-momma-how-do-you-spell-it/749072/7 "2016-03-15T17:04:41Z")
If I was going to spell the word, then Mama is how I would spell it. OTOH, I don’t call my mother mama, I call her Mom or Mommy. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2016, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mama-mamma-or-momma-how-do-you-spell-it/749072/8 "2016-03-15T17:06:51Z")
_Mama_ is how I would spell it if it rhymes with “drama”. _Momma_ is how I’d spell it if it rhymes with “comma”. I have heard both pronunciations here in the Northeast. They seem to be two different (but obviously related) terms rather than two different pronunciations of the same term. ---
**Author:** ![BorgHunter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@BorgHunter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BorgHunter)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2016, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mama-mamma-or-momma-how-do-you-spell-it/749072/9 "2016-03-15T18:40:25Z")
> [@bibliophage](#): > > _Mama_ is how I would spell it if it rhymes with “drama”. _Momma_ is how I’d spell it if it rhymes with “comma”. I have heard both pronunciations here in the Northeast. They seem to be two different (but obviously related) terms rather than two different pronunciations of the same term. The way I pronounce “drama” and “comma”, they rhyme with each other. /dɹɑmə/ and /kɑmə/. How do you pronounce them? ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2016, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mama-mamma-or-momma-how-do-you-spell-it/749072/10 "2016-03-15T19:09:15Z")
“Mom” or “Mommy”. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2016, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mama-mamma-or-momma-how-do-you-spell-it/749072/11 "2016-03-15T19:39:26Z")
Mom. When my mom died three years ago, I realized I had become the eldest. My mom and dad were both only children and I am their oldest child. So I told my brother, sister, their kids and mine that everyone had to call me pappy. And I’ve stuck with it. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2016, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mama-mamma-or-momma-how-do-you-spell-it/749072/12 "2016-03-15T19:41:01Z")
Why no option for Mmomaa ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2016, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mama-mamma-or-momma-how-do-you-spell-it/749072/13 "2016-03-15T19:41:56Z")
> [@BorgHunter](#): > > The way I pronounce “drama” and “comma”, they rhyme with each other. /dɹɑmə/ and /kɑmə/. How do you pronounce them? He’s from Maine! It’s anyone’s guess. 🙂 They rhyme for me too but I am not from heah. ---
**Author:** ![brainstall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/35a633/32.png) [@brainstall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brainstall)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2016, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mama-mamma-or-momma-how-do-you-spell-it/749072/14 "2016-03-15T20:31:35Z")
Mummy. Canadian, with British roots. ---
**Author:** ![SUZ\_MAC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8e8cbc/32.png) [@SUZ\_MAC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SUZ_MAC)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2016, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mama-mamma-or-momma-how-do-you-spell-it/749072/15 "2016-03-15T21:04:42Z")
It was always Mom in our household and those of my friends. Mama and Papa just sounded very trailer park trashy. I do not mean to offend anyone. That was just how it was for me growing up. I have a high school acquaintance on FB that is my age (56) and she refers to her mom as my Mama. It sounds even worse coming from an adult (in my head). ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2016, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mama-mamma-or-momma-how-do-you-spell-it/749072/16 "2016-03-15T22:23:45Z")
> [@bibliophage](#): > > _Mama_ is how I would spell it if it rhymes with “drama”. _Momma_ is how I’d spell it if it rhymes with “comma”… They seem to be two different (but obviously related) terms rather than two different pronunciations of the same term. Yes. ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2016, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mama-mamma-or-momma-how-do-you-spell-it/749072/17 "2016-03-15T22:31:27Z")
> [@BorgHunter](#): > > The way I pronounce “drama” and “comma”, they rhyme with each other. /dɹɑmə/ and /kɑmə/. How do you pronounce them? “Drama” and “mama” rhyme with “llama.” The first syllable of “comma” and “momma” rhymes with “mom” and “bomb.” ---
**Author:** ![Cazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cazzle/32/75_2.png) [@Cazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cazzle)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2016, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mama-mamma-or-momma-how-do-you-spell-it/749072/18 "2016-03-15T22:52:15Z")
Mama. My kids alternate between Mum and Mama. ---
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2016, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mama-mamma-or-momma-how-do-you-spell-it/749072/19 "2016-03-15T22:54:45Z")
> [@Peremensoe](#): > > “Drama” and “mama” rhyme with “llama.” The first syllable of “comma” and “momma” rhymes with “mom” and “bomb.” For me (from California), all those words rhyme with each other. Mama, drama, llama, and comma. ---
**Author:** ![SeaDragonTattoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@SeaDragonTattoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaDragonTattoo)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2016, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mama-mamma-or-momma-how-do-you-spell-it/749072/20 "2016-03-15T23:16:37Z")
I only call my mom, Mom, but I refer to myself as my cats’ momma. Definitely spelling it like I pronounce it, as “mom” with an “a” at the end, which is different from “mama.” [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mama-mamma-or-momma-how-do-you-spell-it/749072.md?page=2)