Learn English – Do all major occupations ending -man have a gender-neutral option

gender-neutral

Traditionally, many professions have been known by terms ending in -man, presumably because they have often been overwhelmingly performed by men in the past. There are probably others but ones I can think of off the top of my head include:

  • Fisherman
  • Postman
  • Fireman
  • Policeman
  • Ombudsman
  • Barman
  • Cameraman
  • Chairman
  • Linesman

Which of these have become acceptable to use for both men and women? Which have different, gender-neutral terms which are now widely used? I know that policemen are now more commonly known as police officers but I'm not aware of any gender-neutral options for the others.

I'm primarily asking in a UK context but usage from other countries would be welcome too.

Best Answer

In a comment, John Lawler wrote

In American English, if the -man is stressed and pronounced /mæn/, like mailman, then it's masculine. If, on the other hand, the -man is unstressed and pronounced /mən/, like chairman, then it can be used for either sex. Many people follow this, but individuals often vary, since many English speakers haven't learned that pronunciation is different from spelling, and they may form variant rules, seeking "correctness" from what they learn, or don't learn, in school.