How do you properly adress a woman using Ms. (miss) or Mrs. (Misses)?

Question

when do you use ms. or mrs? and if the woman is divorced but still has children, do you call her miss or misses?

Answer 1

If you aren't sure of her status, call her Ms.  

Answer 2

If unsure, just use Ms. It can mean Miss and Mrs.

Answer 3

If she is widowed or divorced, still call her Mrs.

Never use the world Ma'am.

Answer 4

Single is Miss "last name" married is Mrs "last name"

Answer 5

Just use "Ms." unless she asks otherwise.

That way, there is no need for you to know her marital status.

Answer 6

Ms. is a generic term that was created years ago so that one could properly address a woman without knowing her marital status.  Mrs. is an abbreviation for mistress not misses and refers to a married woman.  Miss is an unmarried woman.  Ms. is generic.  A woman who is divorced or a widow is still referred to as Mrs. unless she chooses to use Ms.  Regardless, using Ms. will keep you from making any etiquette mistakes.  

Answer 7

You use Mrs. for a married woman. Miss or Ms. (same thing) for someone not married. If the woman is divorced, she isn't married- children or not- so she's a Ms. or Miss. Misses is a little too formal.

Answer 8

Miss is a woman who has never been married, Ms is a woman who is divorced or widow or your not sure and Mrs. is a married woman.

Answer 9

Misses is not the spelling of Mrs.  It's the plural of Miss.  Other people have the correct answer, but thought you should know that.  Mrs. has no spelled out version (unless you go back to the french words Mr. and Mrs. came from.

Answer 10

The Queen likes to be addressed as Ma'am,

I love to hear the yanks say Ma'am.