Word Confusion: May versus Might

Plural for the noun: mays

Third person present verb (1st, 2nd, and 3rd Person Present Singular and Plural): may
Past tense: might
Past participle: N/A
Present participle: N/A

Plural for the noun: might

Third person present verb : may
Past tense (1st, 2nd, and 3rd Person Past Singular and Plural): might
Past participle: N/A
Present participle: N/A

[British] Hawthorn blossom

[Archaic] A maiden ²

Proper Noun:
Fifth month of the year (usually considered the last month of spring in the northern hemisphere) ³

[Literally; usually, one’s May] One’s bloom or prime

May Day festivities

Given name of a female

Verb, intransitive:
To gather flowers in the spring ²

Verb, Modal:
Express possibility ⁴

• Used when admitting that something is so before making another, more important point

Express permission

Express a wish or hope

[Archaic] Mayest

[Archaic] Mayst

Express contingency, especially in clauses indicating condition, concession, purpose, result, etc.

[Archaic] Express ability or power

• Physical strength

Verb, modal:
As the past tense of may, it is especially used ²:

• In reported speech, expressing possibility or permission
• Expressing a possibility based on a condition not fulfilled
• Expressing annoyance about something that someone has not done
• Expressing purpose

Used in questions and requests

• Tentatively asking permission
• Expressing a polite request
• Asking for information, especially condescendingly

Used to express possibility or make a suggestion

The may blossoms are coming out.

The maypole is up.

Proper Noun:
The new model makes its showroom debut in May.

It was a miserable May morning, overcast and raining.

The others murmured that their May was passing.

Come celebrate May Day with us.

Verb, intransitive:
When we were maying . . .

Verb, Modal:
Be that as it may, I still believe that . . .

We may as well get on with it.

That may be true.

He may well win.

They may have been old-fashioned, but they were excellent teachers.

You may use a sling if you wish.

May I ask a few questions?

May she rest in peace.

We may as well enter, as it won’t get any easier.

I may be wrong but I think you would be wise to go.

Times may change but human nature stays the same.

May you live to an old age.

We’ll have to live with it, come what may.

“Might is right” is a poor philosophy to embrace.

He lifted with all his might.

With might and main, we shall overcome our enemy.

Verb, modal:
You might just as well get it over with.

Ah, geez, I might have known you did it.

They said he might be late.

We might have won if we’d played better.

You might have told me!

She avoided social engagements so that she might work.

Might I ask one question?

You might just call me Jane, if you don’t mind.

And who might you be?

This might be true.

You might try melatonin to help you sleep.

1. Late Middle English from the proper noun, May.
2. From Old English mæg is related to the Old High German māg meaning kinsman, which is from the Old Norse māgr meaning a relative by marriage.
3. Late Old English from the Old French mai, which is from the Latin short for Maius mēnsis meaning Maia’s month.
4. From Old English mæg is of Germanic origin, from a base meaning have power and related to the Dutch mogen and the German mögen.

1. From Old English miht or mieht is of Germanic origin.
2. From Old English mæg is of Germanic origin, from a base meaning have power and related to the Dutch mogen and the German mögen (the same as May #4).