Both the UK and the US use English as their native language. However, both countries have different takes on the spelling of the word favorite. The difference is a bit subtle and is mostly seen in spellings, pronunciation, and sometimes in the meaning of words.
English standards used in the United States are referred to as American English, and those used in the United Kingdom are referred to as British English. How does this relate to favorite and favourite?
Which is correct, favorite, or favourite?
Favorite and favourite are both correctly spelled. The difference comes in regards to the spelling standards you are using or in which region you are in. Favourite is preferred in British English, while favorite is preferred in American English. How did this difference come to be?
The Americans speak English because they were colonized by Britain. As a result, Americans used favourite in the 1600s until the late 19th century when its use reduced drastically.
During the 1600s, many dialects from different regions of Britain had settled in America. This leveled the English language, making it a bit different from the varieties used in Britain. However, a fairly uniform type of American English became popular in the mid eighteenth century.
A famous English lexicographer known as Noah Webster played a major role in molding the English language into the way it is in America now. Noah Webster tried to get rid of the unnecessary letters in words; this is how the difference between words like favorite vs. favourite, color vs. colour, favour vs. favor, and many more came to be. The difference also came so that people of the same region can better understand and have a common language.
Is it favorite or favourite in Canada?
We have already noted that favourite and favorite mean the same thing. Both are the correct spelling; the only difference is the former is British spelling, and the latter is American spelling. So what about in Canada? How do they spell the word since English is their main language too?
From as early as the 15th century, both British and French voyages had already started scouting and setting up colonies in North America – including present-day Canada. By the mid-1800s, Canada was completely under British rule, so they use English as their main language.
What’s more, although Canada is closer to America, they have not been influenced to switch from British English to American English. The main standard of English used in Canada is British English. Therefore, they prefer to use favourite instead of favorite.
Canadians use British English standards not only in spelling favourite but also in other forms of publications, articles, spellings, and ways of speech.
What does favorite mean?
Favorite and favourite have varied meanings as the following parts of speech:
- Noun
- Adjective
- Verb
Favorite as a noun
When we use the word favorite as a noun, it refers to a person, animal, or thing most preferred to all others of the same kind.
Examples:
Of all the Harry Potter books, which is your favorite?
She loved all her children, but Kevin was her favorite.
Parents should not have a favorite child.
Another meaning, especially in sports, referring to a team that is most likely to win a game or competition.
Examples:
Liverpool is this season’s favourite.
Horse number 4 is today’s hot favorite.
During the Olympics, Bolt was the 100m favourite.
Favorite is also used when referring to a web address that has been recorded on a web browser and can be quickly accessed via the browser’s menu bar.
Examples:
I have added Google as a favorite in my browser.
You will find that Facebook is a favourite in almost all browser.
Favorite as an adjective
We all know that an adjective is a word that gives an attribute to a noun. Words such as sweet, technical, red, skillful, and many others are all adjectives.
Favorite as an adjective means liked or preferred over everything else of the same kind. Remember, it is always used before a noun.
Examples: I prefer blue and black, but red is my favorite color
What is your favourite song?
January is my least favourite month of the year.
Favourite as a verb
Most of us have access to the internet and have social media accounts. In this case, favourite is used as a verb referring to adding the location of an image or a web address to a list of items that can be easily accessed in the future.
Examples:
I need to favourite this tab so that I can show my supervisor later
You can only favorite one web address in each tab
The second meaning is to show that you like a photo, video, or post that someone has placed on social media.
Examples:
I had to favorite their original post so that I could win the prize
You have to subscribe to his page if you want to favourite some of his projects
She must favourite that Instagram post for reference at the salon
Shortening favourite
Most people, especially in informal writing, use the shortened spelling of favourite, Fav. It is the same in British and American English.
Examples :
This is his fav toy
Burgers are her fav food
Her brother was our fav teacher
When contracting the word ‘favourite is”, it is best to use this shortened form of favorite. This allows you to avoid writing favorite’s, which can be a bit confusing. In this case, you’ll use fav’s.
Can favorite and favourite be plural
This is where it gets a little confusing. We all know that when you have a favorite, this is supposed to refer to the one thing you prefer.
This brings about the question, does it describe that one thing, or is it okay to have more than one favourite? Well, it is common for a person to have more than one favourite. However, it depends on the context that favourite is being used. Let us examine the following cases
Case 1
When favourite used as a noun to show a person or a thing that is most preferred in relation to all the others of the same kind, you can use both plural and singular forms of the word. For example, if you have more than one favorite book and you want to use favorite in a sentence as demonstrated below:
The Goblet of Fire and A Song of Ice and Fire are my all-time favourites.
The Goblet of fire and A Song of Ice and Fire are my favourite books of all time.
In the second example, the structure of the sentence doesn’t allow us to have favourite in plural form. Instead, the noun it is attributing, in our case, book, gets the plural form.
Case 2
In a situation where favourite is used to represent a team or a competitor who is most likely to win a competition, favourite can take a plural form.
Germany and France are everyone’s favorites in the World Cup.
Ford and Ferrari were my favourites in last night’s Formula One race.
Case 3
When favorite is being used as an adjective, it can have a plural. Example in a sentence:
He prefers green and yellow, but his favorites are black, red, and blue.
In all the above cases, we can conclude that sentence structure is a determinant of whether the word favorite can take a plural or not. When you write or speak, it is possible to tell whether the sentence structure is correct or not. Let us examine a few more examples where there is more than one favourite and how to use its plural form.
Wrestling, golf, and football are the United States’ all-time favorites.
My favorites are wine, vodka, and whiskey.
I will pick my three favorites and get back to you as soon as I can.
Summary on favorite vs. favourite
- Both favorite and favourite are the correct spelling in the general English language.
- Regardless of the spelling, they have the same meaning
- We use favourite in British English while the spelling favorite is used in American English. What’s more, while the United States is closer to Canada, they have different takes on the spelling favourite.
- The use of favorite or favourite is determined by the region you are in and the spelling standards you want to use
- The plural of favourite depends on the structure of the sentence.
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