English spellings/Catalogs/M

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This page lists pronunciations of English words that begin with M. To see a different letter (or the main page) navigate with the table at the top.

M
M = ém print

macádam road comes from McÁdam person: names begin Mac-, with or without a following capital, or Mc-, with a following capital, both pronounced Mək-

macarôni cf. original Italian ‘macheroni’

MacGrégor or McGrégor (before G, the c is lost: *Məgrégor)

machétê *məshétty

machìne -sh-

machísmo mátch- or mətch- (the 'tch' sound reflects the word's Spanish origin; some speakers however give it an Italian 'k' sound)

mácho mátch-

Mácintyre = MácKintyre (c of ‘Mac’ is always hard, even before a vowel)

'''máckerel

Macleod or MacLeod or McLeod *Məclòud

mádeleine cake = Mádeleine Paris, person

mâde-up adjective before noun

mádman or -mán; one word

'''Madràs

'''mâelstrom

màêstro *mŷstro

máfia BrE; AmE '''màfia

'''magazìne

Mågdalen Oxford = Mågdalene Cambridge both silent g = måudlin sentimental

Mágdalene Mary *Mágdəlín

magistêrial cf. '''májesty

mágnâte power

mágnet magnetic

Maguîre - u as 'w'

mâid servant = mâde make

mâil letters = mâle female

mâin principle = Mâine America = mâne horse

mâinstream one word

mâize crop = mâze labyrinth

Majŏrca *Məyŏrcə

'''majórity

'''malãria

Malâysia cf. Âsia etc.

Málcolm person *Málcum, cf. tálcum powder

mâle man = mâil ''post

måll shopping = måul violence; or pronounced as always in the rhyming '''Páll Máll

'''mállêable

'''målt

'''Målta

'''Mámmon

mán male = Mánn = Mánne persons = Mán Manchester

mánakin - see '''mánnequin

Mánchester cf. '''Chéster mânger cf. '''mánager

mâne horse = mâin principal = Mâine ''State

'''mándarin '''mándatory

mandolíne or '''mandolín

mâne lion = mâin important = Mâine ''State

mângy -jy

'''mánhandle

'''mâniácal

máníkin, mánníkin - see '''mánnequin

'''mán-mâde

mánna heaven BrE = mánor house = mánner ''way

mánnequin dummy = máníkin dwarf, model, cf. mánakin ''bird

manoeûvre BrE or manœûvre; AmE '''maneûver

many *ménny, cf. '''pénny

Màori *Mòwry, rhymes with '''Lòwry

màrch walk = Màrch month

mãre horse = mãyor ''councillor

margarìne màrj-

Màrgot -gô

Marìa but: Bláck Marîa

Marîah Carey cf. '''parîah

'''marìne

máriner sailor = Márriner ''person

'''máritîme

Màrlboro ™ cigarette -bərə = Màrlborough ''person

Mårlborough town *Måwlbərə

'''màrmalâde

Márrakesh or -ch, pronounced -'''sh

Màrs Martian = màrs ''mar

Marsèille *Marssây

Mãry cf. '''márry

màrten animal = màrtin bird = Màrtin ''person

màrtyr -tər

māsk face = māsque ball BrE = AmE mósque ''Islam

'''Massachûsetts

mássacre -ker

'''mássacring

mássàge -àzh AmE *məssàzh

massëuse -ëz; AmE -ûz

māsterpiece one word

māsterstroke one word

matêrial -al, unlike in French

mátinèe *mátinây: matinée, French accent can be written in BrE but not in AmE

'''mátress

'''mâtrix

måudlin sentimental = Mågdalen Oxford = Mågdalene ''Cambridge

måul lion = måll ''shops

Maurice person BrE = Mórrís name; AmE Maurìce; see -óris in Retroalphabetical List

mauve colour *môav, cf. move û ''movement

mây perhaps = Mây ''month, person

mâybe perhaps only meaning ‘perhaps’ is one word, cf. mây bê verbs: mâybe it’s trûe; ít mây bê trûe

'''mâyhém

mãyor councillor = mãre horse = Mãir person, cf. Mâyer person, '''mâjor

McEnroe *Máckenroe

McIlroy *Máckilroy

McGóugh *MəGóff

McKénzie = MacKénzie = Mackénzie Mək-

mê myself = Mêe ''person

'''mêaly-mòuthed

mêan intend, generous = mìên face

méant mean cf. -ment suffix

mêantime one word

méasure *mézher

mêat flesh = mêet up = mête appropriate

mêatball one word

médal medallion = méddle interfere

'''mêdia

'''mêdial

'''médical

médicine - the first i may be silent

medìêval or medìaêval *medì-êvəl or *medêvəl

Mediterrânean cf. ‘terra’, Latin for ‘earth’, so it is not spelt *Meditterânean

mêet encounter = mêat eat = mête suitable, out

'''megalomâniac

melanchôlia -nk-

mélancholy -nk-

Mélbourne *Mélbən, cf Mílburn, BrE *Mílbən

méltdown noun one word

meménto remember cf. môment, moméntous time

mémoir *mémwà (no final -e unlike in French original)

ménace rhymes with Dénnis and ténnis (-əss or -íss)

ménû *ményu

Ménuhin *Ményuwin

Ménzies Robert

Menzies Campbell *Míngiz

Méopham *Méppəm

'''mêre

meringue *məráng

'''mesméric

'''mésmerise

Méssiàen

Méssrs Mister r as er, cf. mésser mess

Mésurier John le = méasurer measure

métal metallic = méttle quality

metamŏrphôsis - either stressed

meteorólogy mê-

mête suitable, out = mêet encounter = mêat animal

mêter measure = mêtre distance, rhythm BrE; all three meanings in AmE are '''mêter

'''mêthane

methínks one word

'''méthod

'''methódical

mètièr can have French accent métier *mâytiay

meŵs street, cat = mûse ''think, inspiration

mézzanine méts or -méz-

mézzo *métso

mì doh-re-mi = mê ''I

'''Mîámì

'''miaòw

'''mîca

Mîchael *Mŷcle, rhyming with cŷcle

mîcrô-ŏrganism hyphenated

míd does not require hyphen

'''middây

mídnight *mídnîte

mìên face = mêan ''intend, ungenerous

míffed rhymes with ríft etc.

mîght perhaps, power = mîte ''small, arachnid

'''mìgraine

mîke microphone = Mîke ''Michael

Milán Italy í, cf. Mílan ''person

mîles mile = Mîles ''person

'''mílitary

milítia *milíshə

'''millénnium

mímic rhymes with '''gímmick

'''minarét

mînd brain, care = mîned ''mining

mîndset noun one word mîne ''me, bomb, coal

mînefield one word

mîner coal = mînor ''small, young, major

'''minestrônê

míni small = Mínnie person

míniature *mínitcher

'''mínímum

mínistry cf. '''mónastery

mínkê *mínky

'''mînus

mínuscule, now also '''míniscule

mínute time *mínít

minûte tiny mî-

minûtiae *minûshî or *minûshìî

'''mîre

mís- not hyphenated

miscellâneous -səl-

miscéllany -sél-

'''míschíef

'''míschíevous

'''misconcéption

'''mislêad

'''misléd

'''misógynist

'''misquôte

míss aim = Míss female = mís- ''wrong

míssal prayers = AmE míssile hit, cf. BrE pronunciation '''míssîle

misshâpen *míss-shâpen

'''Mississíppì

Missoûrì *Mizoôry; some AmE speakers say *Mízoôrə

'''misspéll

místral wind cf. místrîal ''trial

'''misûse

mîte small, arachnid = mîght ''perhaps, power

mnemónic nem-

môbîle ''move

Môbìle ''Alabama

módel *móddle, cf. '''môtél

Mohámmed or Muhámmad *Məhámid

mŏisten *mŏissən

Mojàvê *Məhàvì

môld shape = môuld ''mouldy

'''mólecule

'''molécular

móllycoddled one word

Mólotov -f

Mólineûx *Móllyneŵ

môment cf. '''meménto

moméntous cf. '''meménto

mónarch BrE -nək, AmE -nàrk

mónestery *mónistry, cf. '''mínistry

'''mònetary

'''mòney

mónicker name = móniker name; BrE = Mónica ''person

mònies = mòneys - variant spelling

'''mònk

Montána BrE and AmE, cf. AmE banána but BrE banàna, with the usual BrE pronunciation of this ending; also Alabáma and Louisiána are both BrE and AmE

mònth *múnth cf. mòunt *máùnt

Montgómery = '''Montgómerie

Montreål -ê-

'''moôn

mŏor land = mŏre plus = Mŏore = Mŏre ''names

moôt mention cf. mûte ''silent

môped ''mope

môpéd ''bike

móral ''virtuous

morāle confidence

mŏrès (-âyz)

mŏrning early = mŏurning ''death

'''mŏron

Mórris person BrE = Maurice person: see -óris in Retroalphabetical List

mŏrtgage *mŏrgij

mŏrtíce or '''mŏrtíse

mosâíc pattern = Mosâíc Jewish *môzâíc

Móscôw - some AmE speakers say '''Móscòw

mósque Islam *mósk AmE = BrE māsk face = másque ball, cf. músk mosquìto -skêeto

môte eye = môat ''castle

móthball one word

motìf pattern mô-, cf. môtive ''reason

moûe pout = moô ''cow

môuld mouldy = môld shape

mòuntaínous -tínəss

mŏurn dead = mŏrn morning

mòuse rodent, cf. '''moûsse

Mòusehole Cornwall *Mòuzəl

moûsse chocolate = moôse animal, cf. '''môuse

moustāche BrE *məstàsh; AmE mústache, *mústásh

mòuth noun th unvoiced, verb th voiced, same spelling, cf. bréath noun th unvoiced, brêathe adding an e when becoming a verb th also voiced

mòuthpiece one word

move û

Môzart *Môatsart

Mr abbreviation of míster, full form rarely used

Mrs *míssíz; abbreviation of míssis or míssus, of which the full form is rarely used; = mísses mistakes, girls

mûesli *meŵzly

Mûïr name *meŵer

'''Mujahedìn

múltiplŷ verb

múltiplỳ adverb

múm quiet, mother BrE, cf. AmE móm mother

múmmy body, mother BrE, cf. AmE mómmy mother

múnch -ch cf. Édvàrd Múnch, *Mùnk

Mûnich -ík

Múrraỳ = Mòray Firth = Múrry, cf. '''húrry

'''mürky

múscle body = mússel shellfish

'''Múscovite

mústáche AmE *mústásh; BrE moustàche *məstàsh

mûse think, inspiration = meŵs street, cat

musêum mûz-

mûsic current = mûsick archaic

Mùslim or Móslem, -z-

'''múslin

mústn’t *mússənt

mûte silent cf. moôt mention

'''mŷ

mŷnah bird BrE = mînor lesser = mîner mines

'''mŷre

'''mýriad

'''mÿrtle

mýstery *mistry

mystìque *mistêek, cf. '''mistâke

'''mýth

'''myxomatôsis