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 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
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
Menzies Campbell *Míngiz
Méopham *Méppəm
mêre
meringue *məráng
mesméric
mésmerise
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. Mìlan 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-, 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