Let’s discuss about, the words Mam or Ma’am, while mam is short for mother, ma’am is short for madam. However, sometimes mam becomes a shortened form of madam, it’s observed that all three of them, mam, ma’am, and madam are used interchangeably while chatting or emailing.
Mam and ma’am are two different words with two different meanings, however, both are pronounced the same way.
What is the Difference between Mam and Madam
“Ma’am” is an old-fashioned honorific contraction of the noun “madame”. It’s a sign of respect, now it’s solely used for older and married women. “Mam” on the other is a short form of mother, and it’s also a respectful and polite way to address any woman.
Mam, ma’am, and madam, all these three words are used to address a woman in a respectful way. In several regions of the United Kingdom, the term “mam” is used to refer to the mother. Ma’am is use to address a woman who is in a high position in office and your school.
You must have noticed that people use “ma’am” while writing a letter to a woman who is of a high rank. You should never use “mam” in a letter as the receiver of the letter may not know that “mam” is also used to address women politely.
In American English, madam is limited to being used in addressing highly formal environments, whereas ma’am is considered a usual term. As far as I know, stylish people began to pronounce “madam” as “mam”, so using mam while addressing to a woman is alright.
Should I use mam or ma am?
Note: If you are referring to your mother then you should use mam. If you are referring to a woman who you have no personal relationship with, use ma’am.
The term “mam” has two meanings: a short form of mummy, and a way of addressing a woman respectfully. Ma’am, on the other hand, has only one meaning which is, a term to use while addressing women politely, moreover, ma’am is a contraction of madam.
You can use both, mam as well as ma’am, however, it depends where you are using them. Mam can be used to refer to your mother, it can also be used to address a woman politely. Ma’am on the other hand is solely used to address a woman politely.
One must keep in mind that, ma’am is much more common compared to mam. Thus if you are writing a letter or an email, use ma’am or madam.
Conclude
Mam and ma’am are two different terms with two different meanings but are pronounced the same way.
Ma’am is an old-fashioned respectful contraction of “madame”.
Ma’am is a sign of respect and is used to address to a woman.
The term “mam” is a short form of mother or mummy. However, it is also used to address to a woman.
Ma’am is more common than mam, so writing a letter or an email, use ma’am or madam.
If addressing your mother, you can use mam.
