Having grown up in Chicago, but finished off in Arkansas, the only thing I ever wanted to be called as a grandmother was Gramma. You have to say it like you're from Chicago, though. Emphasis on the first syllable and a short A clipped off at the end.

NOT gram-maw, with equal emphasis on both syllables!

It's what I called my Chicago grandmother until we were teens, and then we called her Gram. My mother became Gram right away, because my Gram was gone by that time. So that left Gramma for me.

My poor Arkansas born-n-bred DIL could not understand it at all. Having never heard anyone but me say it like that, she didn't quite get it. But my son, I can tell, worked hard to get it right for their son to emulate.

Except it came out of grandson's mouth as AMA. Short A on both sides. It's really close to Oma. As I've said, it just melts me.

Karen