Favorite and favourite are both correct spellings of the same word. Favorite is standard in American English, while favourite is standard in British, Australian, New Zealand, and much Commonwealth English; Canadian English commonly uses favourite, although favorite also appears. Choose the spelling that matches your audience, publication, institution, or software locale.
Key Facts at a Glance
- Favorite is the usual spelling in the United States.
- Favourite is the usual spelling in the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand.
- Canadian English commonly prefers favourite, but Canadian usage shows more variation because of US proximity.
- The two spellings have identical meanings and pronunciation in ordinary English.
- The noun, adjective, and digital verb can use either regional spelling.
- Consistency matters more than choosing one spelling globally.
What Is the Difference Between Favorite and Favourite?
The difference between favorite and favourite is regional spelling, not meaning, pronunciation, or grammatical function. American English removed the u in several words such as color, honor, and behavior, whereas British English generally retained the traditional spellings colour, honour, and behaviour.
The word comes through Middle English and Anglo-French from Latin favore, related to the idea of approval or preference. The modern spelling difference developed gradually rather than appearing in one single reform. Noah Webster helped establish shorter American forms through his dictionaries and spelling recommendations, but ordinary usage, printers, schools, and publishers also shaped the result.
| Feature | Favorite | Favourite |
|---|---|---|
| Main standard | American English | British English |
| Meaning | Preferred person or thing | Preferred person or thing |
| Pronunciation | Usually /ˈfeɪvərɪt/ | Usually /ˈfeɪvərɪt/ |
| Letter count | 8 letters | 9 letters |
| Common noun example | My favorite is jazz. | My favourite is jazz. |
| Common adjective example | My favorite book | My favourite book |
Neither spelling is inherently more correct. A US newspaper may mark favourite as foreign or inconsistent, while a British publisher may edit favorite to match its house style.
Is Favorite American or British English?
Favorite is the default spelling in American English, and favourite is the default spelling in British English. The distinction appears in newspapers, schoolwork, government documents, product interfaces, dictionaries, and edited books, although informal internet writing can mix regional forms.
| English variety or market | Usual spelling | Example |
|---|---|---|
| United States | favorite | What is your favorite film? |
| United Kingdom | favourite | What is your favourite film? |
| Australia | favourite | This is my favourite recipe. |
| New Zealand | favourite | Her favourite subject is history. |
| Canada | favourite, with variation | That is my favourite café. |
| International software | Locale-dependent | Favorites or Favourites |
British usage is not limited to England. The spelling is also common across Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand. Publishers in South Africa and other Commonwealth contexts often use favourite, but national style can vary by organization.
Does Canada Use Favorite or Favourite?
Canadian English commonly uses favourite, especially in formal writing, education, journalism, and books published for a Canadian audience. Canadian English also accepts or encounters favorite, particularly in technology, advertising, online services, and material imported from the United States.
Canadian spelling combines British traditions with substantial American influence. The pattern is not identical across all words: Canadian writers may use colour and centre, while some publishers or technical teams adopt US forms for consistency with American documentation.
For a Canadian project, follow the organization’s style guide. If no guide exists, favourite is the safer default for general Canadian prose, while a product that already uses US English may consistently use favorite.
How Do You Use Favorite or Favourite as a Noun?
As a noun, favorite or favourite means a person or thing preferred over others. The noun can identify a preferred item directly, as in “Blue is my favorite,” or it can name a favored competitor, candidate, or performer, as in “The home team is the favourite.”
| Function | American English | British or Commonwealth English |
|---|---|---|
| Preferred object | This song is my favorite. | This song is my favourite. |
| Preferred person | Maya is my favorite. | Maya is my favourite. |
| Likely winner | The favorite won the race. | The favourite won the race. |
| Saved digital item | Open your favorites. | Open your favourites. |
The noun may be followed by of, as in “That is a favorite of mine” or “That is a favourite of mine.” The plural is favorites in US English and favourites in British and Commonwealth English.
A common mistake is assuming that a noun requires an explicit object. “This is my favorite” is grammatically complete when the context makes the preferred item clear. In formal writing, naming the item can improve precision.
How Do You Use Favorite or Favourite as an Adjective?
As an adjective, favorite or favourite describes the person or thing preferred above comparable alternatives. It normally appears before a noun: “favorite meal,” “favorite author,” “favourite holiday,” or “favourite football club.”
The adjective can also appear after a linking verb when the sentence structure permits it. “That restaurant is my favorite” uses favorite as a noun after my, while “That restaurant is favorite” is generally incomplete or unnatural in standard modern English.
Examples include:
- US: “Which is your favorite museum?”
- UK: “Which is your favourite museum?”
- US: “October is my favorite month.”
- UK: “October is my favourite month.”
- US: “She is his favorite teacher.”
- UK: “She is his favourite teacher.”
The adjective does not change for singular or plural nouns. Writers use “favorite books” and “favourite books,” not forms such as favorites books or favourites books.
Can Favorite or Favourite Be a Verb?
Favorite and favourite can function as verbs in digital and platform-specific language. The verb means to mark content, a message, account, or website for quick access or future reference, although individual products may prefer bookmark, save, star, or like.
| Verb form | American spelling | British or Commonwealth spelling |
|---|---|---|
| Base form | favorite | favourite |
| Third person | favorites | favourites |
| Past tense | favorited | favourited |
| Present participle | favoriting | favouriting |
| Example | I favorited the post. | I favourited the post. |
The digital verb is newer than the noun and adjective. Some editors consider it informal or product-specific, especially when a platform’s official interface uses a different label. In technical documentation, copy the terminology used by the product rather than replacing it automatically.
The past tense favorited is widely used in American technology writing. British platforms may use favourited, although liked, saved, and bookmarked are often more natural alternatives.
Which Spelling Should a Business Use?
A business should use favorite for a primarily US audience and favourite for a primarily British, Australian, New Zealand, or Canadian audience. A global business should localize visible customer-facing language when the distinction affects navigation, search, brand voice, or user trust.
| Business situation | Recommended choice | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| US legal contract | favorite | Matches US editorial and institutional norms |
| UK marketing page | favourite | Matches British customer expectations |
| Canadian help center | favourite by default | Aligns with common Canadian formal usage |
| Global app interface | Locale-specific labels | Preserves local language settings |
| Shared engineering code | One internal convention | Prevents inconsistent identifiers |
| Fiction with mixed speakers | Character-specific spelling | Preserves regional voice |
A single global website can use localized strings rather than maintaining separate source documents. For example, a translation file might contain:
en-US: Favorites
en-GB: Favourites
en-CA: Favourites
en-AU: Favourites
Search engines do not require a website to use both spellings on every page. Clear regional targeting, consistent language, and accurate hreflang implementation matter more than repeating both variants unnaturally.
Should a Global Brand Pick One Spelling?
A global brand should pick one internal default and localize only where the user sees a meaningful language difference. Engineering teams often choose US English for source code because many developer tools and documentation systems default to it, while content teams can display favourites in Commonwealth interfaces.
The key distinction is between an internal identifier and visible copy. A database field called favorite_count does not force an American spelling in the user interface. Renaming a stable code identifier can create migration risk, broken API contracts, and unnecessary maintenance work.
When Should You Use Favorite in American English?
Use favorite in US schoolwork, business writing, journalism, advertising, interface labels, and academic documents prepared for American institutions. The spelling also fits US style guides and publications that otherwise use American forms such as color, center, and organize.
A document should not mix favorite with British forms simply because a writer prefers one word. Mixing is appropriate only when a quotation, proper name, trademark, or deliberately represented speaker requires it.
For example:
The company’s US report listed “favorite products,” while its quoted British customer used “favourite.”
The surrounding US prose remains consistent. The quoted wording retains its original regional form.
When Should You Use Favourite in British and Commonwealth English?
Use favourite in UK, Australian, New Zealand, and many Commonwealth publications, especially when the document uses related forms such as colour, centre, labour, and organisation. British dictionaries, schools, publishers, and media outlets generally treat favourite as the standard form.
| Related word | American English | British or Commonwealth English |
|---|---|---|
| Color word | color | colour |
| Respect or esteem | honor | honour |
| Work or effort | labor | labour |
| Organization | organization | organisation |
| Preferred choice | favorite | favourite |
The pattern is useful but not absolute. British English also uses organize in some style systems, and Canadian English frequently combines forms from both traditions. Writers should follow a named house style rather than infer every spelling from one example.
Are Favorite and Favourite Pronounced Differently?
Favorite and favourite are normally pronounced the same in standard American, British, Australian, and Canadian English. The extra u in favourite changes the written form but does not normally add a syllable or alter the vowel.
The common pronunciation has three syllables: fav-our-ite in careful British spelling notation and fav-er-it in many American pronunciation guides. Regional accents can change vowel quality, but the spelling choice itself does not create a meaningful pronunciation contrast.
Pronunciation matters when reading aloud, teaching English, or designing speech-recognition systems. A text-to-speech engine should interpret both spellings as the same lexical word, though poorly configured systems can mispronounce unfamiliar regional forms.
Is One Spelling Older or More Correct?
Neither spelling is universally older in the sense that makes the other incorrect. Favourite preserves a traditional form influenced by French and British usage, while favorite became established in American English through a wider movement toward shorter spellings.
Noah Webster’s An American Dictionary of the English Language, published in 1828, helped codify American spelling preferences. The dictionary did not single-handedly invent every difference, because spelling variation and American usage existed before its publication.
The practical conclusion is more important than the historical dispute: dictionaries describe regional standards. Merriam-Webster represents American English, while Oxford English Dictionary and major British dictionaries document forms used in British English. A regional dictionary’s preferred entry is evidence of standard usage, not proof that other regions are making errors.
What Are the Correct Derived Forms?
Derived forms follow the spelling system of the document. US English uses favoritism, favorited, and favoring, while British and Commonwealth English commonly use favouritism, favourited, and favouring.
| Meaning or function | US English | British or Commonwealth English |
|---|---|---|
| Preference shown unfairly | favoritism | favouritism |
| Marked online | favorited | favourited |
| Showing preference | favoring | favouring |
| Preferred items | favorites | favourites |
| Preferred status | favorite status | favourite status |
The noun favoritism means unfair preference, often toward a particular person or group. Do not confuse it with favorite, which simply identifies a preferred person or thing and does not necessarily imply unfair treatment.
The suffix rule is not mechanical in every related word. For example, favorable and favourable follow the same regional distinction, but other words beginning with favor- or favour- may have independent spelling conventions. Consult the target style guide when a derived term is unfamiliar.
How Do You Keep a Document Consistent?
To keep spelling consistent, identify the target English variety before editing, set the document’s language, search for both variants, and review quotations and proper names separately. A short document usually takes 5-10 minutes to audit; a long manuscript may require automated linting followed by human review.
Use this workflow:
- Define the audience. Record US, UK, Canadian, Australian, or another target.
- Choose a style authority. Use the client’s guide, publisher instructions, or institutional standard.
- Set the proofing language. Select English (United States), English (United Kingdom), or the required locale.
- Search both spellings. Find
favoriteandfavourite, including plural and derived forms. - Review exceptions. Preserve quotations, trademarks, product names, and code identifiers.
- Check related words. Audit color/colour, center/centre, and organize/organise if relevant.
- Run a final human pass. Automated correction can damage names and quoted material.
| Tool or environment | Setting or action | Typical time |
|---|---|---|
| Microsoft Word | Review, Language, Set Proofing Language | 1-2 minutes |
| Google Docs | Tools, Spelling and grammar, Dictionary language | 1-2 minutes |
| CMS editor | Select site or locale language | 2-5 minutes |
| Code editor | Configure linter or dictionary | 5-15 minutes |
| Long manuscript | Search, style sheet, manual exceptions | 30-90 minutes |
A practitioner rule is to create a project style sheet before the first draft, not after the final proofread. Late global replacement can corrupt quoted speech, URLs, JSON keys, and product labels.
What If a Quotation Uses the Other Spelling?
Keep the original spelling in a direct quotation unless the publication’s correction policy explicitly permits silent normalization. Introduce the quote with enough context to show that the spelling belongs to the quoted speaker, publication, or historical source.
A British source quoted in American writing may contain favourite, while an American source quoted in a British article may contain favorite. Neither form should be “corrected” merely to make the surrounding prose uniform.
Indirect quotation is different. If you paraphrase the source, use the spelling required by your own document:
- Direct quotation: The review called it its “favourite novel.”
- Paraphrase in US English: The review called it its favorite novel.
Legal records, historical documents, product names, and official titles may require exact reproduction. Accuracy takes priority over regional consistency inside the reproduced material.
Does Spelling Matter for SEO and AI Search?
Spelling matters for regional relevance, user trust, and query matching, but SEO does not require awkwardly repeating both variants. A page targeting British readers should naturally use favourite and related British forms, while a US page should use favorite and American forms.
Search engines commonly understand the variants as semantically related because they represent the same entity and meaning. A page can mention the alternate spelling once in a clear explanation, especially when the topic itself concerns the distinction.
For international sites, use:
- Separate localized pages when content, prices, laws, or availability differ.
- Accurate
hreflangannotations between equivalent regional pages. - Locale-specific titles and interface labels.
- Consistent spelling within each regional page.
- Human-readable explanations instead of keyword lists.
The counterintuitive point is that using both spellings repeatedly can weaken editorial quality. Semantic clarity comes from explaining the relationship, not from placing favorite and favourite in every paragraph.
Which Spelling Should Students and Researchers Use?
Students and researchers should follow the spelling convention required by their school, university, journal, examiner, or publisher. US institutions generally expect favorite, while UK and many Commonwealth institutions generally expect favourite.
Academic style systems may define broader preferences that matter more than this single word. A journal can require American spelling while accepting British quotations, or it can require British spelling throughout the manuscript except for cited titles.
Before submission, check:
- The journal’s author guidelines.
- The institution’s official style guide.
- The language setting in the word processor.
- The spelling of headings, captions, tables, and appendices.
- Direct quotations and reference titles.
A consistent document is usually judged more favorably than one that alternates between regional systems. Consistency also reduces the chance that an editor interprets the variation as careless proofreading.
Which Spelling Works in Fiction and Dialogue?
Fiction writers should match narration and dialogue to the intended regional voice. An American character would normally write or say favorite, while a British character would normally use favourite, although a character may deliberately adopt another form because of identity, education, migration, or workplace culture.
Narrative voice can follow the author’s market rather than every character’s speech. A British novel published for a UK audience may use favourite in narration, then preserve favorite in an American character’s email or quoted document.
Do not overuse spelling differences to signal nationality. A single word rarely establishes a complete dialect, and forced regional markers can distract readers. Combine spelling with vocabulary, syntax, measurements, punctuation, and culturally appropriate references only when those details serve characterization.
Common Mistakes With Favorite and Favourite
Mixing regional forms without a reason
A report that uses favorite, colour, and centre may look inconsistent if it targets British readers. Set the language before drafting and review the full spelling family rather than changing one word in isolation.
Treating favourite as an error everywhere
Favourite is not a misspelling in British, Australian, New Zealand, or much Canadian English. A US spellchecker may flag it because its dictionary is configured for American English, not because the word is globally wrong.
Changing quotations during editing
Replacing a source’s favorite with favourite can alter the wording of a quotation. Preserve the original unless the editorial policy clearly authorizes changes and marks them appropriately.
Applying the spelling rule to code names
A code identifier such as favoriteProducts does not need to change when visible UI copy changes to Favourites. Code stability prevents broken integrations and unnecessary migrations.
Assuming every Canadian writer uses one system
Canadian English contains both British and American influences. Confirm the client’s preferred style, especially for national brands operating across Canada and the United States.
Confusing favorite with favoritism
A favorite is a preferred person or thing. Favoritism is unfair preference, especially when someone receives an advantage because of personal preference rather than merit.
FAQ
Is “favourite” wrong in American English?
Favourite is understandable in American English but is not the usual US standard spelling. American editors, schools, and spellcheckers generally prefer favorite. Use favourite in an American document only when preserving a quotation, reproducing a brand name, or intentionally representing another regional variety.
Is “favorite” wrong in the United Kingdom?
Favorite is understandable in the United Kingdom but is not the usual British spelling. UK editors and educational institutions generally prefer favourite. The American form may remain unchanged inside a company name, product name, quotation, URL, or source title.
Which spelling should I use in Canada?
Use favourite as the default in formal Canadian English unless an employer, publisher, or product style guide specifies US English. Canadian usage varies by sector, and software or advertising connected to US markets may use favorite for technical or commercial consistency.
Are “favorites” and “favourites” both plural forms?
Yes. Favorites is the American plural, and favourites is the British, Australian, New Zealand, and commonly Canadian plural. Both mean multiple preferred people or things, or multiple items saved in a digital application.
Is “favorited” a real word?
Yes. Favorited is an established digital verb in American English, meaning marked for later access or reference. British and Commonwealth English may use favourited, although saved, starred, liked, or bookmarked can be more natural depending on the platform.
Should a website include both spellings?
A website should not include both spellings repeatedly just to capture searches. Use the spelling appropriate to the page’s audience, mention the alternate form once when explaining the difference, and use localized pages or interface strings when regional users receive different content or labels.
The Bottom Line
Favorite and favourite mean the same thing, and both are correct. Use favorite for American English, favourite for British, Australian, and New Zealand English, and usually favourite for formal Canadian English unless a local style guide says otherwise. For which is it favorite or favourite, the correct answer is regional consistency, not a universal winner.
