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.
Use “favor” in American English and “favour” in British English. The difference is regional spelling.
Key details
Choose the right form
| Meaning / situation | Form / construction | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| American English spelling | favor | Use “favor” in US-oriented copy. |
| British English spelling | favour | Use “favour” in UK-oriented copy. |
| quoted names or fixed forms | preserve source spelling | Do not normalize a proper name or quotation merely to match house style. |
Quick tests
Meaning / construction test
Is the text following an American or British spelling convention?
If yes: Use the spelling required by that convention.
If no: If no house style is fixed, choose one variety and stay consistent.
Caveat: The difference is regional spelling, not a change in meaning; Canadian and other varieties may follow their own house conventions.
Examples
The proposal won favor with several reviewers.
“Favor” follows American spelling.
The proposal won favour with several reviewers.
“Favour” follows British spelling.
Keep the original spelling in a direct quotation.
Quoted material may preserve the source variety instead of being normalized.
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.
- FAVOR — Cambridge Dictionary (opens in a new tab)Cambridge Dictionary · US spelling “favor”
- FAVOUR — Cambridge Dictionary (opens in a new tab)Cambridge Dictionary · UK spelling “favour”; entry cross-references US “favor”