‘Honor’ or ‘Honour’: Unveiling the Difference explains how American and British English use different spellings for the same word and meaning.
Honor and honour represent a common spelling difference between American English and British English, with the American form generally written without the extra u, while the British form includes it. Despite this difference in orthography, both terms carry the same main meanings, including high respect, esteem, credit, distinction, dignity, prestige, and recognition for someone’s qualities or achievements. The word can also refer to integrity, moral principles, a sense of duty, or something that brings respect within a community, society, field, or profession.
Quick Answer: Honor or Honour?
Honor is the standard spelling in American English, while honour is the standard spelling in British English. Cambridge specifically identifies honor as the US spelling of honour and honour as the UK spelling of honor.
| Spelling | Main English variety | Example |
| Honor | American English | It was an honor to meet you. |
| Honour | British English | It was an honour to meet you. |
Both spellings can mean respect, admiration, moral integrity, recognition, or a privilege. The spelling itself doesn’t change the meaning.
So, if you’re writing for readers in the United States, choose honor. If you’re following British English conventions, choose honour.
Honor vs. Honour: The Basic Difference
At first glance, honor and honour look like different words. They aren’t.
The difference is mainly a matter of regional spelling conventions. American English generally uses the shorter form without the u, whereas British English retains it. Cambridge lists honor as US spelling and honour as UK spelling.
Consider these sentences:
- US: It was an honor to speak at the ceremony.
- UK: It was an honour to speak at the ceremony.
The meaning remains identical.
The same pattern appears when the word functions as a verb:
- US: We honor those who served.
- UK: We honour those who served.
Oxford likewise treats honor as the US form and honour as the British form.
Honor in American English
Honor is the normal spelling in US English. You’ll see it in everyday writing as well as formal contexts.
For example:
It was a great honor to receive the award.
The ceremony was held in honor of the retiring professor.
The company agreed to honor the original agreement.
American English also uses related forms such as:
- honors
- honored
- honoring
- honorable
- honorably
- honorary
Oxford’s American English entries use forms such as honored and honoring.
Honour in British English
Honour is the normal spelling in British English.
For example:
It was a great honour to receive the award.
The ceremony was held in honour of the retiring professor.
The company agreed to honour the original agreement.
British English also uses:
- honours
- honoured
- honouring
- honourable
- honourably
Oxford lists honoured, honouring, and honour as British forms.
Honor and Honour Side by Side
| American English | British English |
| honor | honour |
| honors | honours |
| honored | honoured |
| honoring | honouring |
| honorable | honourable |
| honorably | honourably |
The important point is simple: the spelling changes, but the underlying word does not.
What Does Honor or Honour Mean?
The word has several related meanings. It can describe a person’s character, the respect shown toward someone, an award, or the privilege of being invited to do something.
Honor as Respect or High Regard
One common meaning is great respect or admiration for a person or thing.
For example:
The community gathered to honor the firefighter.
In British English:
The community gathered to honour the firefighter.
Cambridge defines the noun in this sense as a quality involving respect, pride, and honesty.
Honor as Moral Character
The word can also describe personal integrity or strong moral principles.
For example:
He kept his promise because he considered it a matter of honor.
Here, honor isn’t an award or ceremony. It refers to a person’s sense of what is right, honest, and worthy.
You may also encounter expressions such as:
- a man of honor
- a sense of honor
- honor-bound
- on your honor
Oxford includes a sense of honor and honor-bound among established uses.
Honor as an Award or Recognition
Honor can refer to an award, distinction, title, or other recognition given because of achievement.
For example:
She received the highest honor awarded by the organization.
In British English:
She received the highest honour awarded by the organization.
The plural honors/honours is also important in education. Oxford notes that honors can refer to a higher-level course or to graduating with a special level of achievement.
Honor as a Privilege
You can also use the word to describe something that makes someone feel proud because it shows respect.
It was an honor to represent my university.
The British version is:
It was an honour to represent my university.
This explains why people often say “It’s an honor” when accepting an invitation, award, position, or responsibility.
Honor as a Verb
As a verb, honor/honour can mean several things.
It can mean:
- to show respect
- to recognize someone’s achievement
- to give an award or distinction
- to keep a promise or agreement
- to accept something as valid
For example:
The city honored the scientist for her research.
Or:
The company agreed to honor the warranty.
Cambridge specifically includes the meaning of fulfilling an existing agreement or promise.
In British English, the same sentences use honor and honour.
Why Do Honor and Honour Have Different Spellings?
The spelling difference has a long history. It isn’t simply a modern American decision to “remove a letter.”
The word developed through French and Latin. Oxford traces honour through Middle English and Old French onor/onorer, ultimately connecting it with Latin honos/honor.
Over time, English developed different spelling conventions on either side of the Atlantic. American English adopted several shorter spellings, while British English generally retained forms containing -our.
That is why you also see familiar pairs such as:
- color / colour
- favor / favour
- labor / labour
- humor / humour
- neighbor / neighbour
- behavior / behaviour
The honor/honour distinction belongs to this broader spelling pattern.
The Role of American Spelling Reform
American dictionary traditions helped establish shorter spellings as standard in the United States. Noah Webster is particularly associated with efforts to distinguish American spelling conventions from British ones.
His approach favored some simplified forms. Over generations, those spellings became firmly established in American English.
That doesn’t mean Americans “misspelled” British words. Rather, American English developed its own standardized conventions.
Honor vs. Honour in American and British English
The difference becomes especially useful when you’re editing an entire document.
| Feature | American English | British English |
| Noun | honor | honour |
| Verb | honor | honour |
| Plural noun | honors | honours |
| Past tense | honored | honoured |
| -ing form | honoring | honouring |
| Adjective | honorable | honourable |
| Adverb | honorably | honourably |
| Meaning | Same | Same |
| Basic pronunciation | Same word | Same word |
Oxford confirms the corresponding verb forms honor, honors, honored, and honoring in American English and honour, honours, honoured, and honouring in British English.
REead More:Collaborate vs. Corroborate: What’s the Difference?
Honor vs. Honour in Other English Varieties
The United States and United Kingdom aren’t the only places where this spelling matters.
Canadian English
Canadian English can use both British and American spelling patterns depending on the word and context. Oxford’s American English entry specifically notes that Canadian English usually uses honour for this word.
So a Canadian reader may commonly encounter:
It was a great honour.
However, Canadian spelling has its own conventions and shouldn’t simply be treated as identical to either US or UK English.
Australian and New Zealand English
Australian and New Zealand English generally follow British spelling conventions for words of this type.
As a result, honour is commonly found in formal writing.
For an organization serving Australian or New Zealand readers, using honor throughout a document can make the text look distinctly American.
Indian and Other Commonwealth English
Many varieties of English influenced by British educational and institutional traditions commonly use honour.
You’ll therefore often see expressions such as:
- in honour of
- honours degree
- honourable
- honoured guest
However, local style guides and individual institutions can establish their own preferences. When writing professionally, the organization’s stated style should take priority.
Honor or Honour in Common Phrases
The spelling changes inside familiar expressions too.
In Honor Of vs. In Honour Of
Both mean to show respect for or celebrate someone or something.
American English:
The event was held in honor of the founder.
British English:
The event was held in honour of the founder.
Cambridge defines the expression as doing something to celebrate or show respect for someone or something.
Do Someone the Honor vs. Do Someone the Honour
American English:
Would you do me the honor of joining us?
British English:
Would you do me the honour of joining us?
The meaning remains unchanged.
Honor System vs. Honour System
An honor system is standard US spelling.
An honour system is standard British spelling.
The phrase describes a system based on trust rather than constant supervision.
Honor Roll vs. Honour Roll
American schools commonly use honor rolls.
British institutions may use honour roll or related expressions depending on their educational system.
Don’t automatically change an institution’s official name. Proper names and official titles should generally retain their established spelling.
Honor vs. Honour in Formal Writing
Choosing between honor and honour isn’t really about choosing the “better” spelling. It is about choosing the spelling that fits your English variety, audience, and style requirements.
Suppose you’re writing a US business report:
The company is proud to honor its long-serving employees.
Switching suddenly to:
The company is proud to honour its long-serving employees.
would introduce a British spelling into an otherwise American document.
The reverse is equally true for a British publication.
Keep Your Spelling Consistent
Consistency matters more than trying to make one spelling universal.
If a document follows US English, use:
- honor
- honored
- honoring
- honorable
If it follows British English, use:
- honour
- honoured
- honouring
- honourable
A style guide can settle the question when you’re unsure.
For academic, corporate, government, or publishing work, check the organization’s preferred English variety before making a final decision.
Honor or Honour in Professional Emails
Professional emails are a common place where this distinction appears.
If you’re writing to an American client:
It was an honor to work with your team.
For a British client:
It was an honour to work with your team.
Neither version sounds more respectful because of the spelling. The difference simply reflects the expected variety of English.
The same principle applies to phrases such as:
- It would be an honor to…
- I would be honored to…
- It is an honor to welcome…
- We are honored to announce…
British versions use honour and honor.
Honor vs. Honour and Related Words
The spelling difference becomes more noticeable when you add suffixes.
| US English | British English |
| honor | honour |
| honors | honours |
| honored | honoured |
| honoring | honouring |
| honorable | honourable |
| honorably | honourably |
One word deserves special attention: honorary.
Is “Honourary” Correct?
Honorary is the standard spelling in both American and British English.
For example:
She received an honorary degree.
Not:
She received an honorary degree.
This is an easy mistake because British English uses honourable, honoured, and honouring. However, the adjective honorary keeps the honor- spelling. Oxford lists honorary as a separate word alongside honorable and honor.
Honor or Honour in Academic Writing
Academic writing requires extra attention because universities and journals may specify a particular style.
If your institution requires US English, use honor consistently.
If it requires British English, use honour consistently.
For example, a US academic paper might say:
The study examines how military honor influenced political institutions.
A British paper could use:
The study examines how military honour influenced political institutions.
The research claim doesn’t change. Only the spelling convention does.
A Practical Academic Writing Rule
Before submitting a paper, check:
- The university’s preferred English variety
- The journal’s author guidelines
- The required style guide
- The spelling used throughout your manuscript
Don’t switch spelling styles randomly while proofreading.
Honor or Honour in American and British Titles
Titles and official names can create another wrinkle.
If Honor or Honour appears as part of an official name, don’t automatically “correct” it to match your preferred spelling.
For example, an American institution may officially use Honor, while a British organization may officially use Honour.
Proper names have their own spelling conventions. Preserve the official form when referring to the organization, award, publication, or program.
Honor vs. Honour Pronunciation
Despite the spelling difference, honor and honour generally have the same pronunciation within corresponding American and British varieties.
Cambridge gives US and UK pronunciations for the word, while Oxford identifies the two forms as regional spellings.
The main difference is therefore written rather than semantics.
The initial h is not pronounced in either form. The word begins with a vowel sound, which is why you write:
an honor
and
an honour
rather than an honor or an honour. Oxford explicitly notes that an is used before the word.
Common Honor and Honour Mistakes
Mistake: Calling One Spelling Wrong
Seeing honour in a British document doesn’t mean the writer made a spelling error.
Likewise, honor isn’t wrong simply because a British dictionary uses honour.
The correct question is:
Which variety of English does this document follow?
Mistake: Mixing the Two Spellings
A document that uses color, favorite, and center but suddenly uses honour has mixed spelling systems.
That doesn’t necessarily make the sentence grammatically wrong. It can make the document stylistically inconsistent, though.
Mistake: Writing Honorary
As noted earlier, honorary is the standard spelling.
The British spelling of honour does not turn this word into honourary.
Mistake: Changing a Proper Name
If an award, organization, or institution officially uses Honor, don’t change it to Honour merely because the surrounding text follows British English.
Official names should retain their established spelling.
A Simple Case Study: Choosing the Right Spelling
Imagine a writer preparing two versions of the same company announcement.
The US version says:
We are deeply honored to announce the opening of our new research center.
The British version says:
We are deeply honoured to announce the opening of our new research centre.
Notice something important: the spelling difference isn’t limited to honor/honour.
The second sentence also uses centre, which is the British form of center.
This illustrates a broader principle: English varieties operate as spelling systems, not isolated word-by-word choices.
If you’re writing in American English, you generally maintain American conventions throughout the document. If you’re writing in British English, you generally maintain British conventions throughout.
Honor or Honour: Which One Should You Use?
The practical answer depends on your audience.
Use Honor When:
- You’re writing American English.
- Your readers are primarily in the United States.
- Your organization follows US English.
- Your style guide specifies American spelling.
- You’re using American institutional terminology.
Use Honour When:
- You’re writing British English.
- Your audience is primarily British.
- Your organization follows British English.
- Your style guide specifies British spelling.
- You’re following a publication that uses British conventions.
What If Your Audience Is International?
Choose a clear English variety and use it consistently.
For an international website, the most important thing isn’t trying to alternate between spellings. Instead, establish a consistent editorial standard.
If an organization has its own style guide, follow that guide.
Honor vs. Honour: Quick Decision Guide
Writing for a US audience? Use honor.
Writing for a UK audience? Use honour.
Writing for a Canadian audience? Check the organization’s preferred Canadian English style; honour is commonly used.
Writing for an Australian or New Zealand audience? British-style spelling such as honour is generally expected.
Following a style guide? Follow the guide.
Using an official name? Preserve the organization’s established spelling.
Writing for an international audience? Pick one consistent English variety.
FAQs
What is the difference between Honor and Honour?
Honor and honour have the same meaning and pronunciation. The main difference is spelling: honor is standard in American English, while honour is standard in British English.
Which spelling is correct, Honor or Honour?
Both spellings are correct. Your choice depends on the variety of English you are using. Choose honor for American English and honour for British English.
Is Honor American or British spelling?
Honor is the preferred American English spelling. American dictionaries, schools, businesses, and publications generally use this form without the extra u.
Is Honour British spelling?
Yes. Honour is the standard British English spelling and is also commonly used in other varieties influenced by British English, depending on the regional convention.
Do Honor and Honour have the same meaning?
Yes. Honor and honour have the same core meanings, including high respect, esteem, dignity, recognition, integrity, and something that brings credit or distinction.
Are Honor and Honour pronounced differently?
Generally, no. The spelling changes, but the words have essentially the same pronunciation in American and British English, although normal accent differences can affect how they sound.
Why does Honour have an extra U?
The u in honour reflects the spelling convention associated with British English. American English simplified several such spellings, producing forms such as honor, color, and favor.
Can I use Honor in British English?
You can understand and encounter honor in British contexts, but honour is the usual standard spelling in British English. For formal British writing, honour is generally the expected form.
Can I use Honour in American English?
Yes, readers will understand honour, but honor is the normal American spelling. If you are writing for an American audience, using the standard American form keeps your writing consistent.
How can I remember Honor vs Honour?
A simple way to remember it is: American English drops the “u”, giving honor, while British English keeps the “u”, giving honour. The same pattern appears in color/colour and favor/favour.
Conclusion
Honor and honour are not different words with different definitions; they are different spellings of the same word. The key distinction comes from English variety and regional spelling conventions. Honor is the standard form in American English, while honour is the standard form in British English and related varieties. Both can express respect, esteem, dignity, recognition, integrity, and moral principle, so the meaning does not change simply because the spelling does.
When choosing between them, consider your audience, country, educational context, publication style, and type of English. If you are writing for Americans, use honor; if you are following British English conventions, use honour. Once you understand this simple spelling pattern, the difference becomes easy to recognize, just like color and colour.
