may

As a modal verb, this word functions as an auxiliary that never changes form regardless of the subject, lacking the standard s-ending for third-person singular. It carries a softer, more polite tone than can when requesting permission, often signaling a higher degree of deference or formality. When used to express possibility, it suggests a chance that is less certain than might, though the two are often interchangeable in casual speech. As a proper noun referring to the month, it is always capitalized to distinguish it from the modal verb.