I will have a visa interview (for the US) in a few days and I would like to know how I address people in a conversation.
Especially, I would like to know the differences between the following:
- Sir
- Madam, Ma'am
- Miss
- Misses
- Mister
I have read the following questions/answers, but they don't explain the terms in context. I would like to know what the differences are:
Best Answer
Sir is a general-purpose term of respect, and it's hard to go wrong with sir when used in polite conversation. The equivalent term to use for women would be ma'am.
Unlike sir and ma'am, Mr., Mrs., Miss, (and Ms.) wouldn't be polite words to use unless you use them in conjunction with the person's name:
Mrs is used for married women, Miss is used for single women, and Ms can be used for either. I would recommend using Ms unless the person you are talking with indicates otherwise: