Alma Mater

Alma Mater : Can this word be used to refer to one’s school?

By Leena, Chile - 26th Nov. 2007

First, let’s deal with the pronunciation. The first a in ma is like the a in cat, bat and sat, while the second a is like the a in China. The a in mater is like the a in bath and path and the final er is like the a in China. The main stress is on the first syllable of mater. This is just one way of pronouncing the word.


Alma mater means Bountiful Mother and it can be used to refer to the school, college or university that you graduated from. Sometimes, schools and college have their own songs. These official songs can also be called Alma Mater.