Favourite or Favorite: Which Spelling Is Correct?

Favourite or favorite? Both spellings are correct, but they are used in different varieties of English.

Favourite is the standard spelling in British English, while favorite is the standard spelling in American English. Both words have the same meaning: a person or thing that you like more than others.

The difference is the letter u. British English keeps it, while American English leaves it out. You can see the same pattern in words such as colour/color, honour/honor, and favour/favor.

Neither spelling is more correct in every situation.

The best choice depends on your audience and the type of English you are writing. In this guide, you will learn when to use each spelling, how the word works in a sentence, and how to avoid common mistakes.

Favourite or Favorite: Quick Answer
What Does Favourite or Favorite Mean?
Favourite vs Favorite: Key Differences
When to Use Favourite
When to Use Favorite
Examples in Sentences
Favourite or Favorite as a Noun and Adjective
Why Does British English Use “U”?
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Easy Ways to Remember the Spelling
British and American Spelling Differences
Frequently Asked Questions
Conclusion and Key Takeaways

1. Favourite or Favorite: Quick Answer

Use favourite in British English and favorite in American English. Both spellings mean a person or thing that you like best. The meaning, pronunciation, and grammatical use are essentially the same; only the spelling differs.

Quick Rule: British English = favourite. American English = favorite.

2. What Does Favourite or Favorite Mean?

The word favourite or favorite describes someone or something that you like more than other people or things of the same kind.

It can refer to a food, song, book, movie, person, place, activity, or even a competitor expected to win a contest.

For example:

Chocolate is my favourite dessert.
Pizza is my favorite food.
She is my favourite singer.
This is my favorite book.
The team is the favorite to win the match.

The word can work as both a noun and an adjective.

As an adjective, it describes something you like best: “That is my favorite song.”

As a noun, it names the person or thing you like best: “That song is my favorite.”

The meaning stays the same in British and American English. For more detail, see the Cambridge Dictionary entry for favourite and its American English entry for favorite.

3. Favourite vs Favorite: Key Differences

Feature	Favourite	Favorite
Standard variety	British English	American English
Spelling	Includes “u”	No “u”
Meaning	Something liked best	Something liked best
Part of speech	Noun or adjective	Noun or adjective
Pronunciation	Essentially the same	Essentially the same
Example	My favourite movie is funny.	My favorite movie is funny.

The main difference is regional spelling. Neither version is a misspelling when used in the appropriate variety of English.

Which spelling should you choose?

Choose the spelling that matches your audience:

Writing for readers in the United States: Use favorite.
Writing for readers in the United Kingdom: Use favourite.
Writing for an international audience: Pick one spelling style and use it consistently.
Writing for school or work: Follow the style guide or instructions you have been given.

Consistency matters. Avoid switching between favorite and favourite in the same article unless you are specifically explaining the difference.

4. When to Use Favourite

Use favourite when writing in British English. It is common in the UK and in other varieties that follow British spelling conventions.

Examples of favourite in sentences

Football is my favourite sport.
What is your favourite colour?
This is her favourite restaurant.
My favourite subject at school was English.
That was my favourite scene in the movie.
He is one of my favourite authors.
Summer is my favourite season.
Which is your favourite book?
This café is a favourite meeting place for students.
She saved her favourite websites in a browser folder.

Notice that the spelling favourite stays the same whether it describes a thing or names one.

British English phrases

Favourite food
Favourite movie
Favourite teacher
Favourite song
All-time favourite
Personal favourite
Firm favourite

Example: “My all-time favourite film is the one I watched as a child.”

5. When to Use Favorite

Use favorite when writing in American English. This is the standard spelling in the United States.

Examples of favorite in sentences

Pizza is my favorite food.
What is your favorite color?
This is my favorite restaurant.
English was her favorite subject.
That is my favorite scene in the movie.
He is one of my favorite authors.
Summer is my favorite season.
Which is your favorite book?
This café is a favorite place for students.
I saved my favorite websites in a browser folder.

The word has the same meaning as its British counterpart. American readers generally expect favorite, particularly in formal writing, school assignments, publications, and website content written in US English.

American English phrases

Favorite food
Favorite movie
Favorite teacher
Favorite song
All-time favorite
Personal favorite
Fan favorite

Example: “My all-time favorite movie is a comedy.”

6. Favourite or Favorite: More Examples

The following pairs show how the spelling changes without changing the meaning.

British English	American English
What is your favourite color?	What is your favorite color?
This is my favourite book.	This is my favorite book.
She is my favourite teacher.	She is my favorite teacher.
Pizza is his favourite meal.	Pizza is his favorite meal.
It is my favourite song.	It is my favorite song.
That is our favourite place.	That is our favorite place.
He is the favourite to win.	He is the favorite to win.
This is one of my favourites.	This is one of my favorites.

These examples illustrate why the choice depends on the spelling style you are following rather than on a difference in meaning.

Examples in different contexts

In everyday conversation

British: “What is your favourite drink?”

American: “What is your favorite drink?”

In school writing

British: “My favourite subject is science.”

American: “My favorite subject is science.”

In a blog post

British: “Here are five of my favourite books for beginners.”

American: “Here are five of my favorite books for beginners.”

In sports

British: “Our team is the favourite to win the final.”

American: “Our team is the favorite to win the final.”

7. Favourite or Favorite as a Noun and Adjective

Both spellings can be used as a noun or an adjective. The spelling choice does not change the word’s grammatical role.

Favourite or favorite as an adjective

An adjective describes a noun.

Examples:

This is my favourite song.
She ordered her favorite meal.
He wore his favorite shirt.
That is their favourite café.

In each example, the word tells us which song, meal, shirt, or café someone likes best.

Favourite or favorite as a noun

A noun can name the person or thing that someone likes best.

Examples:

This song is my favourite.
Chocolate is one of my favorites.
She has always been a teacher’s favourite.
Which one is your favorite?

The plural forms are favourites in British English and favorites in American English.

Can favourite or favorite describe a likely winner?

Yes. The word can also refer to a person, team, or competitor expected to win.

British English: “The defending champions are the favourites.”

American English: “The defending champions are the favorites.”

This meaning is common in sports reporting and competitions.

8. Why Does British English Use “U”?

The difference is part of a wider pattern in British and American spelling. British English often keeps -our, while American English commonly uses -or.

Examples include:

British English	American English
Favourite	Favorite
Colour	Color
Favour	Favor
Honour	Honor
Labour	Labor
Neighbour	Neighbor
Humour	Humor

American spelling reforms helped establish shorter spellings in many words, while British English retained forms that were already common in its spelling tradition.

However, not every British-American spelling difference follows the same pattern. For example, centre/center and travelling/traveling follow different spelling patterns.

Expert Tip: When editing a US-focused article, check related words as well as the main keyword. If you choose favorite, you will usually also choose color, favor, and honor.

9. Common Mistakes to Avoid

Mistake 1: Treating one spelling as universally wrong

Incorrect claim: “Favourite is always wrong.”

Better explanation: Favourite is standard in British English, while favorite is standard in American English.

Mistake 2: Mixing spelling styles

Example: “My favorite colour is blue.”

This sentence mixes the usual American spelling of favorite with the usual British spelling of colour.

For a consistent British version, write: “My favourite colour is blue.”

For a consistent American version, write: “My favorite color is blue.”

Mixing styles is not always a serious grammatical error, but it can make an article look inconsistent.

Mistake 3: Assuming the words have different meanings

The letter “u” does not create a difference in meaning. Both words can describe something liked best or a competitor expected to win.

Mistake 4: Forgetting the plural form

British English: favourites.

American English: favorites.

Keep the same spelling convention when making the word plural.

Mistake 5: Changing the spelling within one article

If your article begins with favorite, do not randomly switch to favourite later. Choose the form that suits your audience and keep it throughout the page.

10. Easy Ways to Remember the Spelling

Use these simple reminders:

British = favourite. Remember that British English keeps the “u” in many words ending in -our.

American = favorite. American English usually removes the “u” in this group of words.

You can also remember the paired words:

Favourite food / favorite food
Favourite colour / favorite color
Favourite book / favorite book
Favourite neighbour / favorite neighbor

Another helpful approach is to identify your target audience before writing. If most of your readers are in the United States, use American spelling consistently. If you are writing for British readers, use British spelling.

Quick practice quiz

Choose the best spelling for each sentence.

1. For an article written in American English: “Blue is my ___ color.”

A. favourite
B. favorite

Answer: B. Favorite.

2. For a British English school assignment: “What is your ___ subject?”

A. favourite
B. favorite

Answer: A. Favourite.

3. Which statement is correct?

A. Favourite is always incorrect.
B. Both spellings are correct in their respective varieties of English.

Answer: B. Both spellings are correct.

11. British and American Spelling Differences

Favourite and favorite are part of a larger group of words that differ between British and American English.

British spelling	American spelling
Favourite	Favorite
Colour	Color
Neighbour	Neighbor
Honour	Honor
Organise	Organize
Centre	Center
Theatre	Theater
Travelling	Traveling
Cancelled	Canceled
Jewellery	Jewelry

Some words have more than one accepted spelling even within a variety of English, so check a reliable dictionary or style guide when needed.

For more spelling comparisons, you can explore related Grammarlify.com articles such as Labelled or Labeled and other US-versus-UK spelling guides on the site.

12. FAQs

Is favourite or favorite correct?

Both are correct. Favourite is the standard British English spelling, while favorite is the standard American English spelling.

Is favourite British or American?

Favourite is the British English spelling. It is also used in other varieties of English that follow British spelling conventions.

Is favorite British or American?

Favorite is the standard American English spelling. It is the usual choice for writing aimed at readers in the United States.

Does favourite mean the same as favorite?

Yes. Both words have the same meaning and can be used as a noun or an adjective. The difference is spelling, not meaning.

How do you spell favorite in the USA?

In the United States, spell it favorite, without the letter “u.”

How do you spell favourite in the UK?

In the United Kingdom, spell it favourite, with the letter “u.”

Why does favourite have a “u”?

The spelling favourite follows the British spelling convention used in words such as colour, honour, and favour. American English generally uses the shorter forms favorite, color, honor, and favor.

Is it favorite movie or favourite movie?

Both are correct. Use favorite movie in American English and favourite movie in British English.

What is the plural of favourite or favorite?

The British plural is favourites. The American plural is favorites.

Should I use favourite or favorite on my website?

Choose the form that matches your target audience. For a US-focused website, use favorite. For a UK-focused website, use favourite. Keep your spelling consistent across articles and pages.

Conclusion

The difference between favourite and favorite is simple: British English uses favourite, while American English uses favorite.

Both spellings describe a person or thing that someone likes best, and neither is universally wrong.

Before publishing an article, consider who will read it. If your audience is mainly American, choose favorite. If your audience is mainly British, choose favourite.

Then keep the same spelling style throughout your content.