Vigor vs. Vigour
“Vigor” is the US spelling and “vigour” is the UK spelling for the same noun meaning strength, energy, or force. Match the regional variety or house style used elsewhere in the text. The forms differ by regional spelling rather than meaning.
“Vigor” is the US spelling and “vigour” is the UK spelling for the same noun meaning strength, energy, or force. Match the regional variety or house style used elsewhere in the text.
Key details
Choose the right form
| Context | Use | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| US English | vigor | Use the US spelling without “u”. |
| UK English | vigour | Use the UK spelling with “u”. |
| mixed or institutional style | follow house style | The forms have the same noun meaning; consistency is the main choice. |
Quick tests
Regional-style test
Is the document following US or UK spelling conventions?
If yes: US → “vigor”; UK → “vigour.”
If no: Choose the form required by the publication or house style and use it consistently.
Caveat: This is a regional spelling distinction, not a meaning distinction.
Examples
The team attacked the problem with renewed vigor.
“Vigor” is the US spelling.
The team attacked the problem with renewed vigour.
“Vigour” is the UK spelling.
The editor kept “vigour” because the report follows British spelling throughout.
Consistency with the chosen regional style controls the form.
Further guidance
Core difference
“Vigor” is the US spelling and “vigour” is the UK spelling for the same noun meaning strength, energy, or force. Match the regional variety or house style used elsewhere in 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 forms differ by regional spelling rather than 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.
- VIGOR — Cambridge Dictionary (opens in a new tab)Cambridge University Press · US spelling “vigor” and cross-reference to UK “vigour”
- VIGOUR — Cambridge Dictionary (opens in a new tab)Cambridge University Press · UK spelling “vigour” and cross-reference to US “vigor”