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
| Meaning / situation | Form / construction | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| American English spelling | favorite | Use “favorite” in US-oriented copy. |
| British English spelling | favourite | Use “favourite” in UK-oriented copy. |
| proper names, quotations, product titles | preserve established form | Do not silently respell fixed names. |
Quick tests
Meaning / construction test
Does your document follow an American or British spelling system?
If yes: Use the matching regional spelling.
If no: If no convention is specified, choose one and apply it consistently across the document.
Caveat: The two spellings express the same word; the decision is regional or editorial rather than semantic.
Examples
Blue is her favorite color.
“Favorite” follows American spelling.
Blue is her favourite colour.
“Favourite” follows British spelling.
The quoted title keeps its published spelling.
Fixed titles and quotations may preserve their original variety.
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”