Why do Americans use the word mom and not mam or mum? and if that's the case why don't they use dod for dad?

Answer 1

'Cos they can't fecking spell ANYTHING right.

Answer 2

Many so-called Americanisms are in fact 17th. Century English. An example is "fall" instead of autumn. Fall was in common usage in both England and their colonies in North America at that time. In England though the word fell out of use (no pun intended).

I wouldn't be at all surprised if Mom and Mum have a similar history. Although I haven't read the book, I know that Bill Bryson has written on the subject of the differences between American and English English.

For Spurs13: Mam is sometimes used in Irish English.

Answer 3

I love your question! :-) One aspect of this is that they don't pronounce the letter "o" the same way that we do and when they say mom it sounds very much like mum. I'm a Brit in America for two weeks at the moment and I have an American boss in Kenya and mix with Americans a lot.

Answer 4

Non of the above answers are correct. It's how they pronounce words. Try pronouncing mum with an american accent! It wouldn't sound right. But if you read mom and pronounce it with their accent then it sounds more reasonable. The same reason the spell kebabs as kabobs because with their accent you would pronounce kebabs as kibebs and that's incorrect and even laughable. mum would sound as murm or something equally silly. So it's to to with their accent rather than 'bastardising' the English language.

Answer 5

In response, an answer and a question:
A: They just HAVE to be a bit different
Q; why do the spell words like colour as color
Therefore, the grand answer to your question is don't expect anything else.

Answer 6

mother = mom, first two letters the same
daddy = dad , first three letters the same
Looks fairly simple to me

Answer 7

In the same way that they would say... Why do english people spell mom, mum and mam?

Im english but i thought that was stupid!
And who the hell uses MAM???

Answer 8

it's an informal word for mother- hence the mom- not an abbreviation of mummy.

In my usa movie experience of the usa (as i have no other) they call their dads sir most of the time.

Answer 9

in answer to spurs13, northerners use MAM, my son calls it me. its all about where your from, does it really matter???

Answer 10

because everything with the yanks are just 'over the top' and 'exaggerated' a good explanations of the Americans would be...."all the gear, but no idea"

Answer 11

That's true,they don't say Mum.They don't say Domb either.