Is the woman who gave you life your ‘mom’ or your ‘mum’? Wondering which version of the word to use? We’ll help you figure out the correct one, plus teach you how to use it in a sentence correctly.
The short answer is that both words are correct. However, ‘mom’ is the American English spelling of the word. The word ‘mum’ is the British English version of the word ‘mom.’
Some people struggle with whether they should use ‘mum’ or ‘mom,’ but both versions of the word are okay to use, depending on your audience.
The difference between ‘mom’ and ‘mum,’ as you’ve learned, is that the former is the American English spelling of the word, and the latter is the British English spelling of the word. So, if you’re writing for an American audience, use the American spelling, and if you’re writing for a UK audience, you’d likely use the British spelling.
There are several words in the English language that there’s a British spelling of the word, as well as an American spelling of the word.
Many people use both spellings, ‘organization’ and ‘organisations’, interchangeably, not knowing that one is the English spelling and the other British. The American spelling is ‘organization.’
The American spelling of the word is ‘tires,’ whereas the British spelling is ‘tyres.’ Only use ‘tyres’ if you’re writing for an audience outside the U.S.
Nighttime vs. Night-Time
Nighttime is another word that some people get confused about. Do you spell it ‘nighttime’ or ‘night-time’? Well, if you’re writing for an American audience, you’d spell it ‘nighttime’ and the other way for a British audience.
Definition and Meaning
Now that we know that both versions of the word are correct let’s quickly define the word.
The Merriam-Webster definition of the word ‘mom’ is: “a female parent: mother.”
The Cambridge definition of the word is: “a mother.”
Some synonyms of the word are:
Plural of ‘Mom’ and ‘Mum’
The plural version of the word ‘mom’ is ‘moms’ because it follows the standard rules for pluralizing words in English. That rule is to add an ‘s’ or ‘es’ to the end of a word to make it plural. The same rule applies to ‘mum.’ The plural would be ‘mums.’
Take a look at some examples:
How to Use ‘Mom’ and ‘Mum’ in a Sentence Correctly
Now that we have a clear definition of the word, we can see how to use it in a sentence.
Here are a few examples of how to use the singular form of the word in a sentence:
Now let’s see some examples of how to use the plural version of the word in a sentence:
And remember, you can use the British English spelling of the word the same way you’d use the American version of the word.
Final Advice on ‘Mom’ and ‘Mum’
Now that you know that both spellings are correct (just in different contexts), you can use both appropriately when you need to.
Remember that the American spelling of the word is ‘mom.’ If you ever get stuck, you can always come back to this page (bookmark it if you need to) and refresh your memory.
We’ve got a ton of articles dedicated to explaining confusing words and phrases. We can also teach you how to write better.
