ms

Everyday

1. Ms (said «miz») is a title used before a woman's surname, whether she is married or not: «Ms Patel». tree →
2. «ms» (small letters) is short for millisecond, one thousandth of a second. tree →
3. MS can be short for manuscript or for multiple sclerosis (an illness). tree →

In the lessons

At school children often call female teachers «Ms» plus their surname: «Good morning, Ms Brown.» In letters and forms, Ms is a polite title for any woman. In science and computing, «ms» means milliseconds: a fast reaction is about 200 ms. Phrases: «Dear Ms…», «Ms Smith».

Examples

• Good morning, Ms Lee! tree →
• Ms Patel is our new class teacher. tree →
• Write «Dear Ms Jones» at the start of your letter. tree →
• Ms is used for women, married or not. tree →
• The light flashed for 50 ms. tree →
• Our reaction times were about 250 ms. tree →
• Ms Garcia teaches us maths. tree →
• Ask Ms Wilson if we can go outside. tree →

Note

Titles: Mr (men), Mrs (married women), Miss (unmarried women or girls), Ms (any woman), Mx (anyone, gender-neutral). UK English usually writes «Ms» without a full stop; US English writes «Ms.». Maths: 1 second = 1000 ms; 500 ms = half a second.