Mom, Mum or Mam?

Southern Belle   Saturday, December 13, 2003, 18:10 GMT
Big Mama and Big Daddy
Southern tree   Sunday, December 14, 2003, 01:29 GMT
My parents called their parents ''Mother and Dad''.
Jim   Monday, December 15, 2003, 02:14 GMT
I never use "pa", "papa" nor "granpa".

The way I'd pronounce "mom" is /mom/ (if asked to pronounce it how it's spelt). This is different to how I'd pronounce "mum". I pronounce "mum" as /m^m/. Different again is how I'd pronounce "ma'am" which I'd pronounce /ma:m/ (though actually I'd only ever use "madam" and rarely at that). Different even still is how I'd pronounce "mam" i.e. /m@m/ (if asked to pronounce it how it's spelt).

The thing is, however, that there seems to be no distinct /o/ in American accents. The /o/ sound is merged with /^/ or /a:/ so the way Americans say "mom" is similar to how they'd say "mum" anyway (or should it be "ma'am"?).

Simon,

"Mum" always rhymes with "fun" in England? You mean that the English make no distinxion betwixt /n/ and /m/? Should you have written that it rhymes with something like "thumb"?
Simon   Monday, December 15, 2003, 08:30 GMT
Ok, Jim. MUM rhymes with DUMB and BUM and RUM and HUM and COME and SOME and NUMB and STRUM and CRUMB etc.
laura   Monday, December 15, 2003, 15:30 GMT
i need to know how to say mam or sir in german
Simon   Monday, December 15, 2003, 16:07 GMT
Mutti = Mum

Mein Herr = sir in German
Fritz   Monday, December 15, 2003, 17:21 GMT
Father is Vater (pronounced 'farter') in German. I find that very funny because my father is also a farter.
Ferdinand   Monday, December 15, 2003, 17:23 GMT
I say Mater and Pater, but I'm a chinless English public schoolboy.
chan   Tuesday, December 16, 2003, 03:09 GMT
i am from China, so we call our parents mama and baba respectively.
Simon   Tuesday, December 16, 2003, 10:03 GMT
Baba?
Simon   Tuesday, December 16, 2003, 10:16 GMT
Faker? Odd fake...
Lynne Hand   Tuesday, December 16, 2003, 12:53 GMT
I come from Nottingham (UK) and say mum - but my mum hates it. She prefers mother! But I always say if it's good enough for the queen...

I'd never say mom and as for mam - it sounds to much like maaam.
Re Jim   Tuesday, December 16, 2003, 14:09 GMT
It's ''grandpa'' not ''granpa''.
Simon   Tuesday, December 16, 2003, 19:11 GMT
My name is Simon. Why am I fake because we happen to share the same first name? I think you're the fake. I'm genuine.
Sebastian   Tuesday, December 16, 2003, 19:12 GMT
Lynne Hand - I thought Nottingham was in the English Midlands. Therefore, I thought all/most Midlands people say Mom, northerners Mam, and southerners Mum.