English UsageComparison guide

Favor vs. Favour

“Favor” is the US spelling and “favour” is the UK spelling of the same noun/verb. Match the variety or house style used by the rest of the text.

Quick answer

Use “favor” in American English and “favour” in British English. The difference is regional spelling.

Key details

Confusion Familyregional-spelling
Noun Variant ScopeThe spelling varies by region; the guide does not invent a meaning difference between the forms.
Rule Familyregional-orthography
Termsfavor, favour

Choose the right form

Decision table for Favor vs. Favour
If you mean / needUseWhy
American EnglishfavorCambridge identifies this as the US spelling.
British EnglishfavourCambridge identifies this as the UK spelling.

Further guidance

Core difference

“Favor” is the US spelling and “favour” is the UK spelling of the same noun/verb. Match the variety or house style used by the rest of the text.

Fast Test

Choose by meaning, grammatical function, and documented regional convention rather than treating every visible variant as an error.

Variant Boundary

The spelling varies by region; the guide does not invent a meaning difference between the forms.

Sources and evidence

Sources are shown with the role they play in this guide. Historical or style-sensitive claims are kept within the evidence boundary described above.

  1. FAVOR — Cambridge Dictionary (opens in a new tab)Cambridge Dictionary · US spelling “favor”
  2. FAVOUR — Cambridge Dictionary (opens in a new tab)Cambridge Dictionary · UK spelling “favour”; entry cross-references US “favor”

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