# Mah

/ˈmɑ/ (US) · CEFR C2 · Pronoun

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/mah
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Definition

a casual way to say 'my'. You use it in very informal writing or texting to sound relaxed or to show a specific accent.

For teachers: a non-standard, phonetic spelling of the first-person possessive determiner 'my'. Used primarily in digital communication or to represent specific regional dialects in writing.

## Examples

- I need to go find mah keys.
- He texted his friend saying he was on mah way to the party.
- The author uses eye-dialect like 'mah' and 'gonna' to establish the protagonist's informal, colloquial voice within the first few pages of the novel.

## Pitfalls

- Not "This is mah." but "This is mine." — Mah is a casual form of the possessive adjective 'my', not the possessive pronoun 'mine'.

## Usage notes

- Functions as a possessive determiner; used exclusively in highly informal or dialectal contexts.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.