Favorite vs. Favourite
“Favorite” is the US spelling and “favourite” is the UK spelling. Both function as the same adjective/noun family; consistency with regional or house style is the practical choice.
Use “favorite” in American English and “favourite” in British English.
Key details
Choose the right form
| If you mean / need | Use | Why |
|---|---|---|
| American English | favorite | Cambridge identifies “favorite” as the US spelling. |
| British English | favourite | Cambridge identifies “favourite” as the UK spelling. |
Further guidance
Core difference
“Favorite” is the US spelling and “favourite” is the UK spelling. Both function as the same adjective/noun family; consistency with regional or house style is the practical choice.
Fast Test
Choose by meaning, grammatical function, and documented regional convention rather than treating every visible variant as an error.
Variant Boundary
The difference is regional orthography rather than a change in meaning.
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.
- FAVORITE — Cambridge Dictionary (opens in a new tab)Cambridge Dictionary · US spelling “favorite”
- FAVOURITE — Cambridge Dictionary (opens in a new tab)Cambridge Dictionary · UK spelling “favourite”; entry cross-references US “favorite”