Ms or Ms.

Same as Mr. or Mrs.

Is this British or American?

American follow Mr, Mrs, Ms, Dr, etc with a period/full stop (but not Miss). British English users don't.

Thanks, contrex.

Not all of us tho Mr Con

The majority of American style guides suggest periods after honorifics that are contractions starting with the first letter and ending with the last letter of the original long form - Mr. (Master) Mrs. (Mistress) Dr. (Doctor)

Yeah, I know we're supposed to put a period after this stuff (in America).

However, with texting and emails and such it's just fine if it's dropped.

I mean, in a text it's so hard to double tape the space bar, ya know?

If I were typing a formal letter or something, I'd include it, but for everyday use, I don't care.

Of course Con I was sorta pullin'....

Hooray Chai

I would use the period if only I knew what Ms were supposed to be an abbreviation for.

Rog I think most of us here, do...

Swell! What is that word that it is an abbreviation for?

Since you say "most of us here, do. . . .

Miss or missus, I guess, Rog

Point well taken, Rog

Ms is not an abbreviation. It's a title, or honorific, just as Miss, Mrs. and Mr. is.

The difference lies in the fact that a man is called Mr regardless of marital status, because that's not important.

The title Ms is preferred nowadays, as it's of no more importance to know a womans marital status than it is a mans.

You're not going to find some "word" it's an abbreviation for, it's just Ms.

Mostly, it's what most women want to be called if it's not a first name basis encounter, so you do it. It would be insulting not to.

Why would deciding whether to use a period or not depend on knowing what something is an abbreviation of anyway?

Abbreviations terminate with periods. So do sentences. Unabbreviated titles do not. If we speak of a queen, we don't use a period after that title, like Queen Elizabeth. No period after Queen, unless somebody thinks of an abbreviation for it.

In England it doesn't, or more and more in America.

It's just punctuation that's changing, it's just not that important anymore.

Agreed.

Miss doesn't get a period because it's a shortening-not abbreviation-of "Misstress". All the rest of the forms do, at least in American English.

If they talk about "full stops"they won't put one after "Ms", if they talk about "periods", they will.

Thank you Chai, it's not everyday....