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Is it honour or honor?

Which is Correct: Honour or Honor?

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Dalia Y

BA, MA, Phil. Grammarflex's initial initiator and contributor.
👍🏼Usage Note
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It is an immense honour to receive this prestigious award in London.
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The town honored its founder by naming a street after her.
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The team felt honored to represent their country at the Commonwealth Games.
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She delivered a truly honourable speech at the American historical society meeting.

Work Sheet

Question 1 of 10

According to the post, which spelling of the noun is correct in a UK English context, such as receiving an award in London?



Which spelling of the past tense verb is correct in a US English context, such as a town celebrating its founder?



Based on the post’s example, what is the correct spelling for the team feeling acknowledged for representing their country at the Commonwealth Games (a UK context)?



Which spelling of the adjective is correct when describing a speech given at the American historical society meeting (a US context)?



In general, the main difference highlighted in the post regarding “honour” and “honor” spellings is based on:



It was a great to meet the Queen during her visit to the UK.



The company its long-serving employees at the annual awards ceremony in New York.



He made an attempt to uphold the values of his profession in Boston, Massachusetts.



The athletes were deeply to compete on behalf of Great Britain.



The students debated whether the historical figure’s actions were or not in the context of Victorian England.





Frequently Asked Questions

Which spelling is correct in UK English?
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In UK English, the spelling “honour” is used for the noun, as seen in the example “an immense honour…in London.” The past tense form of the verb is spelled “honoured.”

Which spelling is correct in US English?
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For US English, the spelling is “honor.” This is shown in the past tense verb form “honored,” used correctly in “The town honored its founder.” The US adjective is “honorable.”

When should I use “honour”?
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Use “honour” when writing in UK English. The post uses it as a noun in a UK context: “It is an immense honour to receive this prestigious award in London.” The UK past tense is “honoured.”

When should I use “honor”?
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Use “honor” when writing in US English. The post gives the example “The town honored its founder,” showing the US past tense verb. The US adjective form is spelled “honorable.”

Why was “honored” wrong in one example?
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“Honored” was marked incorrect because it is the US spelling used in a UK English context (“represent their country at the Commonwealth Games”). The correct UK spelling for the past tense verb is.

Yash, D. "Which is Correct: Honour or Honor?." Grammarflex, Jun 15, 2025, https://www.grammarflex.com/which-is-correct-honour-or-honor/.

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