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 sound 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 Mác is always a hard 'k', 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 = Mâys

májesty cf. majéstic, magistêrial

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 Isle, 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 *moôv 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

méthane AmE; BrE mêthane

methínks one word

méthod

methódical

méthýl

méthylâted spírits

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. Mìlán person (though some BBC football pundits use the latter, ì, pronunciation for the city)

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- 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-, silent m

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 sound, 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