English spellings/Catalogs/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-

macán- is spelt mechán- (= McCánn)

macarôni cf. original Italian macheroni

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

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 Mác is always a hard 'k', even before a vowel)

'''máckerel

Macleod or MacLeod or McLeod *Məclòud

'''mádam

'''madáme

'''Madêira

mádeleine cake = Mádeleine Paris, person

mâde-up adjective before noun

mádman or -mán; one word

'''Madràs

madrássa is perhaps the most phonetic of the many spellings of *mədrássə/*mədràssə

'''mâelstrom

màêstro *mŷstro

máfia BrE; AmE '''màfia

'''magazìne

Mågdalen Oxford = Mågdalene Cambridge, both silent g = måudlin sentimental

Mágdalene Mary *Mágdəlín

magistêrial cf. '''májesty

mágnate power: mágnâte or = mágnet

mágnet magnetic

Maguîre - u as 'w'

mâid servant = mâde make

'''Mâida Vâle

mâil letters = mâle female

mâin principle = mâne horse = Mâine America = Mâyne ''person

mâinstream one word

maî taî drink = '''mŷ tîe

mâize crop = mâze labyrinth = '''Mâys

májesty cf. majéstic, magistêrial

Majŏrca *Məyŏrkə

'''majórity

mâkeshift one word

malâise = '''Malâys

'''malãria

Malâysia cf. Âsia etc.

Málcolm person *Málcum, rhyming with tálcum powder

mâle man = mâil ''post

Màlè Maldives can be written Malé

'''málíce

malîgn -lîne

malígnant -lígnənt

måll shopping = måul violence (but, in London: The Máll and Páll Máll)

'''mállàrd

'''mállêable

'''målt

'''Målta

'''Målvern

'''Mámmon

mán male = Mán Isle, Manchester = Mánn = Mánne persons, cf. '''mâne

mánakin - see '''mánnequin

'''manatêe

Mánchester cf. Chéster: both es in Mánchester are normally weak: *Mánchəstər

'''Mancûnian 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

mánslåughter *mánsslåwter'''

mántle cf. méntal (minimal pair)

many *ménny, cf. '''pénny

Màori *Mòwry, rhymes with '''Lòwry

Mâpplethorpe Robert *Mâplethorpe: unusual flouting of double-consonant rule in person's name, cf. mâple tree, mápping ''map

márathon AmE ó; BrE o as schwa

Marbèlla *Màr-bâya

màrch walk = Màrch month

mãre horse = mãyor councillor, cf. màrè ''maria

margarìne màrj-

Màrgot -gô

Màrgolỳes -lêez

Marìa but: '''Bláck Marîa

mària moon (plural of màrè, 'moon "sea"')

Marîah Carey cf. '''parîah

Márian, like Ísabél, has an o variant, '''Márion

'''Mariánne

'''marìne

máriner sailor = Márriner ''person

'''Mário

'''máritîme

Màrlboro™ cigarette -bərə = Màrlborough ''person

Mårlborough town *Måwlbərə

'''màrmalâde

màrquess = '''màrquis

Márrakesh or -ch, pronounced -'''sh

márriage *márij, cf. French mariage

Màrs Martian = màrs ''mar

Marsèille *Marssây

màrshal officer = Màrshall = Màrshal persons = màrtial war = Màrtial poet

màrten animal = màrtín bird = Màrtín ''person

Màrtìne ''feminine

màrtyr -tər

Mãry cf. '''márry

Márylebone *Márryləbən

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

'''másturbate

'''Matabêlêlánd

matêrial -al, unlike in French

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

'''mâtrix

'''máttress

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 *moôv ''movement

mâven, '''mâvin

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

McCánn = first two syllables of '''mechánical

McEnroe *Máckenroe

McIlroy *Máckilroy

McGóugh *MəGóff

McKénzie = MacKénzie = Mackénzie Mək-

McNamàra *Mácna-màra

mê myself = Mêe ''person

'''mêad

'''méadôw

'''mêaly-mòuthed

mêan intend, generous = mìên face

méant mean cf. -ment suffix

mêantime one word

mêasles rhymes with '''wêasels

méasure *mézher

mêat flesh = mêet up = mête appropriate

mêatball one word

mechánic məká- cf. machìne məsh-

mechánical məká-

méchanism mékə-

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

Medvédev *Midvyédiff

mêet encounter = mêat eat = mête suitable, out

'''megalomâniac

melanchôlia -nk-

mélancholy -nk-

Mélanie, cf. mélody, '''Delâney

Mélbourne *Mélbən, cf Mílburn, BrE *Mílbən

méltdown noun one word

'''même

meménto remember cf. môment, moméntous time: 'remêmber, a memênto ís an âid to yŏur mémory, an aide-memoire''...

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

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

'''menágerie

méntal cf. mántle (minimal pair)

'''méntǒr

ménû *ményu

Ménuhin *Ményuwin

Ménzies Robert

Menzies Campbell *Míngiz

Méopham *Méppəm

'''mêre

meringue *məráng

'''mërmaid

'''mesméric

'''mésmerise

'''méssage

'''méssenger

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

méthane AmE; BrE '''mêthane

methínks one word

'''méthod

'''methódical

'''méthýl

'''méthylâted spírits

mètièr can have French accent métier *mâytiay

meŵ cat = mû ''Greek

meŵs street, cat = mûse ''think, inspiration

mézzanìne méts- or méz-

mézzo *métso

mì doh-re-mi = mê ''I

Miámì *Mŷ-ámmy

'''miaòw

mîc = mîke microphone = Mîke ''Michael

'''mîca

Mîchael *Mŷcle, rhyming with cŷcle

mîcro-

mîcrô-ŏrganism hyphenated

míd does not require hyphen

middây (pronounced like two words: pause on d sound to indicate both ds pronounced, but no hyphen)

Míddlesbrough England *Míddlezbrə; cf. Míddlesborough ''Kentucky

mídnight *mídnîte

'''mídwîfe

'''midwífery

mìên face = mêan ''intend, ungenerous

míffed rhymes with ríft etc.

mîght perhaps, power = mîte ''small, arachnid

mìgraine BrE; AmE '''mîgraine

mîke = mîc microphone = Mîke ''Michael

Milán Italy í, cf. Mìlán 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

'''mínstrel

'''mînus

mínuscule, now also '''míniscule

mínute time *mínít

minûte tiny mî-

minûtiae *minûshî or *minûshìî

'''mîre

mís- joined, not hyphenated; = míss = '''Míss

miscellâneous -səl-

miscéllany -sél-

'''míschíef

'''míschíevous

'''misconcéption

mísháp *míss-háp

'''mislêad

'''misléd

'''misnômer

'''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

'''misunderstánding

'''misûse

mîte small, arachnid = mîght ''perhaps, power

mnemónic nem-, silent '''m

môbîle ''move

Môbìle ''Alabama

módel *móddle, cf. '''môtél

'''môdus operándî

'''môdus vivéndì

Mohámmed or Muhámmad *Məhámid

mŏisten *mŏissən

Mojàvê *Məhàvì

môld shape = môuld ''mouldy

'''mólecule

'''molécular

móllycoddled one word

Mólotov -f

Mólineûx *Móllyneŵ

móllusc (AmE also móllusk)

môment cf. '''meménto

moméntous cf. '''meménto

'''Mónaco

mónarch BrE -nək, AmE -nrk or -nàrk

Monegásque -ásk

mónestery *mónistry, cf. '''mínistry

'''mònetary

mòney (see mòní-)

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

mòníes = mòneys and mòníed = mòneyed - variant spellings

'''mònk

monópoly = Monópoly game (Monópoly mòney)

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-

moôg or *môag; or M-

'''moôn

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

moôt mention cf. mûte ''silent

môped ''mope

môpéd ''bike

móral BrE, AmE mŏral ''virtuous

morāle confidence

'''moratǒrium

mŏrès -âyz

mŏrning early = mŏurning ''death

'''mŏron

Mórris person BrE = Maurice person, rhyming with lóris, Bóris and Dóris (all ŏ in AmE)

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

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

'''Mubārak

mûesli *meŵsley

Mûïr name *meŵer

'''Mujahedìn

múll over = Múll ''Scotland

múlti- is a prefix, not a word, and must be either joined to the next word, as in múltitask, or hyphenated, as always before a following vowel, as in '''múlti-instruméntalist

múltiplŷ verb

múltiplỳ adverb

múm quiet, mother BrE, cf. AmE móm mother

Mùmbaî cf. '''Bombây

múmmy body, mother BrE, cf. AmE mómmy mother

múnch -ch sound, cf. Édvàrd Mùnch, *Moònk

Mûnich -ík

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

'''mürky

múscle body = mússel shellfish

'''Múscovite

mûse think, inspiration = meŵs street, cat

musêum mûz-

mûsic current = mûsick archaic

músk makes a minimal pair with '''mósque

Mùslim BrE, AmE Mú-, both -z-

'''múslin

mústáche AmE *mústásh; BrE moustàche *məstàsh

mústn’t *mússənt

mûte silent cf. moôt mention

'''mŷ

Mỳanmar is the pronunciation of CNN and Al Jazeera, though there are several others, e.g. Wikipedia's Myánmar; other English-language broadcasters use the traditional name '''Bürma

mŷnah bird = BrE mînor lesser = mîner mines

'''mŷre

'''mýriad

'''mÿrtle

mýstery *mistry

mystìque *mistêek, cf. '''mistâke

'''mýth

'''myxomatôsis