Learn the difference and pronunciation of Ms., Mrs., and Miss , the titles used to address women formally. Find out when to use them based on age, marital status, and preference, and how to punctuate them correctly. Miss is traditionally used for unmarried women, especially younger women. However, its usage is declining, and Ms. is often preferred, even for unmarried women. Use “Miss” when addressing a young girl or unmarried woman . Use “Ms.” when addressing a woman in a professional or neutral way, especially if you don’t know her marital status. The full forms of Mr., Mrs., Ms., and Miss are mister, missus, no full form for Ms., and miss , respectively. While mister indicates a male, whether married or unmarried, missus is for married women. Miss refers to an unmarried woman, usually younger, and Ms. is a neutral title for women regardless of their marital status, be it married or unmarried.