How to Use Honor or Honour Correctly

Quick: Is it honor or honour?

Neither spelling is wrong. 

But using the wrong one for your audience is the actual mistake. 

The difference between American & British spellings goes back to one man you probably recognize from the dictionary on your shelf: Noah Webster. 

In 1806, Webster believed American English needed simplification. 

He argued that shorter spellings were more logical and efficient, so he removed the “u” from words like honour.

Just like that, colour became color, flavour became flavor, and honour became honor.

And that created a divide that still exists today between American and British English.

In this blog, you’ll learn the difference between honor and honour meaning, when to use each one, how to avoid common mistakes, and even how phrases like maid of honour or maid of honor follow the same rule.

Let’s dive in.

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Key Takeaways

•  The choice between is it honor or honour depends entirely on whether you are writing for a US or UK/Commonwealth audience.

• There is no difference in the honour or honor meaning. Both function as nouns and verbs representing respect and integrity.

• Choosing between maid of honour or maid of honor should align with your regional spelling to maintain consistency.

• Words like Honorary and Honorific never use a “u,” regardless of the region.

• Mixing US and UK spellings in one document is a major credibility red flag.

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What’s the Difference Between Honor vs Honour

Whether you are writing a formal speech or a wedding invitation, deciding between honour or honor is very important.

So, let’s understand the difference between honor and honour.

• Quick Meaning

Both honor or honour are the same word. They can be used as a noun or a verb, and their meanings are identical. 

The only difference is spelling: the “u” in honour appears in British English, while American English uses honor.

As a Noun

• High respect or esteem given to a person.
• Something that brings credit or distinction, such as an award, a title, or a privilege.
• A personal code of integrity or moral principles, like living by one’s values.

Examples:

• US: “She received the honor of being elected class president.”
• UK: “She received the honour of being elected class president.”

As a Verb

• To regard someone or something with great respect.
• To fulfill or keep an obligation or promise.
• To celebrate or formally recognize someone or something.

Examples:

• US: “We will honor our agreement.”
• UK: “We will honour our agreement.”

How to Use Honor

Honor is the correct spelling in American English. If you are wondering is it honor or honour for a US-based client, the answer is always the version without the “u.”

You can use “honor” spelling when: 

• Writing for an American publication or website
• Submitting academic work in the US
• Writing business emails or documents addressed to US-based recipients
• Using American-style brand voice or style guide

Forms of honor in American English:

Base Form	Verb (past tense)	Verb (present participle)	Adjective
honor	honored	honoring	honorable

Examples using honor as a noun:

• She received the Medal of Honor for her bravery in combat.
• It was a true honor to be invited to speak at the conference.
• Graduating with honors is one of her proudest academic achievements.
• Sam is an honor to this profession.

Examples using honor as a verb:

• The organization will honor its employees with a recognition ceremony next Friday.
• Please honor the terms of the agreement we signed last month.
• They gathered to honor the memory of their late colleague.

Real-world usage: The New York Times, Washington Post, and US government documents all use honor consistently.

While these examples are grammatically perfect, the vibe of your writing matters just as much as the spelling.

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How to Use Hounor

Honour is the correct spelling in British English. And by extension, in most Commonwealth countries including Canada, Australia, New Zealand, India, South Africa, and the Republic of Ireland.

You can use “honour” spelling when: 

• Writing for a UK, Australian, Canadian, or other Commonwealth audience
• Submitting academic work to a British or Commonwealth university
• Formal UK correspondence, legal documents, or official publications
• Following a British or international style guide

Forms of honour in British English:

Base Form	Verb (past tense)	Verb (present participle)	Adjective
honour	honoured	honouring	honourable

Examples using honour as a noun:

• She was awarded the highest honour by the British government.
• Being selected as team captain was a significant honour for him.
• The war veterans were given full honours at the ceremony.
• “Your Honour” is how judges are addressed in British courts.

Examples using honour as a verb:

• The university will honour him with a distinguished alumni award.
• She wanted to honour her late grandmother’s memory at the wedding.
• The organisation decided to honour its founding members with a tribute.

Real-world usage: The BBC, The Guardian, and The Times (London) all use honour consistently.

If you’re ever unsure about usage, you can use AI Chatbot to save you from small but embarrassing mistakes. Use this AI Chat to generate contextual sentence examples based on your audience.

One of the most frequent searches involves wedding party titles: maid of honour or maid of honor?

• Use maid of honor for American weddings.
• Use maid of honour for British, Australian, or Canadian weddings.

The choice of maid of honor or honour should match the rest of your invitation’s spelling (e.g., if you use favour and centre, use honour).

Examples of Honor and Honour in Sentences

10 Sentences Using Honor (American English)

1. The soldier was awarded the Medal of Honor for his extraordinary courage on the battlefield.
2. It was a true honor to be nominated for the award alongside such talented writers.
3. She graduated summa cum laude and with full academic honors from her university.
4. Please honor your commitment, the team is counting on you to follow through.
5. The school held a ceremony to honor students who maintained a perfect attendance record.
6. He took great honor in knowing that his work had made a difference in his community.
7. The mayor said it was an honor to serve the city for three consecutive terms.
8. They built a memorial to honor the lives lost during the tragedy.
9. Her Honor, Judge Williams, reminded both parties to present their evidence clearly.
10. We honor the pioneers who made it possible for the next generation to thrive.

10 Sentences Using Honour (British English)

1. The Queen’s Birthday Honours list is published twice a year and includes names from every field.
2. It was a great personal honour to be invited to address Parliament on such a sensitive issue.
3. She wore the medal with honour, proud of every sacrifice it represented.
4. The university honoured him with a fellowship in recognition of his decades of research.
5. Your Honour, the defence would like to call the next witness to the stand.
6. He accepted the position of team captain with honour, fully aware of the responsibilities ahead.
7. They gathered to pay their respects and honour the memory of those who served.
8. Being appointed as the country’s cultural ambassador was the greatest honour of her career.
9. The company felt a strong duty to honour all prior agreements, even after the merger.
10. In many Commonwealth countries, graduating “with honours” indicates exceptional academic performance.

Honor and Honour Are the Same?

Yes, completely.

Honor and honour are two different spellings of the exact same word. They have the same meaning, and can be used the same way in a sentence. 

The only thing that separates them is geography.

Here’s the logic…

English is spoken across dozens of countries, and over centuries, American English and British English developed slightly different spelling conventions. 

American English, heavily shaped by the lexicographer Noah Webster in the early 19th century, dropped the “u” from words like:

• colour → color,
• flavour → flavor, 
• neighbour → neighbor
• honour → honor. 

Webster believed simpler spellings were more logical and efficient.

British English preserved the “u” because it reflected the Old French origin of the word (honur, later honour). 

Samuel Johnson, the great British lexicographer, actively championed the longer spelling, and it stuck across Britain and its former colonies.

So which one is right? Both are right. 

The choice is simply about matching your spelling to your audience. 

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Here are the most common mistakes people make when using honor or honour, and how to avoid them.

1. Mixing both spellings in the same document

Wrong: It is a great honor to receive this award. The organisation will honor its honourees next month.

Correct (US): It is a great honor to receive this award. The organization will honor its honorees next month.

Correct (UK): It is a great honour to receive this award. The organisation will honour its honourees next month.

2. Writing honourary (it doesn’t exist)

Wrong: She received an honourary degree from Oxford.

Correct: She received an honorary degree from Oxford

Rule to remember: Honorary, honorific, and honorarium are always spelled without the “u” — in both American and British English. 

3. Forgetting to apply the rule to all related words

Wrong: She felt honoured and found it truly honorable to be selected.

Correct (UK): She felt honoured and found it truly honourable to be selected.” 

Correct (US): She felt honored and found it truly honorable to be selected.”

Rule to remember: Whatever spelling you pick for the root word, apply it to all its derivatives: honored/honoured, honoring/honouring, honorable/honourable.

4. Using “a honor” instead of “an honor”

Wrong: It was a honor to meet her.

Correct: It was an honor to meet her.

It’s because the “h” in honor/honour is silent. The word begins with a vowel sound (ON-er), so it takes the article an, not a. This applies to both spellings.

Tips for Consistency

Tip 1: Know Your Audience Before You Write

Before typing a single word, ask yourself: Who is reading this?

• US reader → use honor
• UK/Commonwealth reader → use honour
• Mixed international audience → pick one and stay consistent (many global brands default to American spelling for simplicity)

Example: A British author writing a book for a US publisher would typically adapt to honor, color, favor throughout the manuscript.

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Tip 2: Set Your Spell-Checker Language First

Most word processors (Microsoft Word, Google Docs) let you set the document language to English (United States) or English (United Kingdom). 

Do this before you start writing.

Example: If your document is set to “English (UK),” the word honor will be underlined as incorrect, prompting you to fix it to honour.

Tip 3: Use Style Guides as Your Reference Point

If you’re writing for a publication, academic institution, or company, check their style guide first. It will tell you which English variety they follow.

• AP Stylebook → American English → honor
• Chicago Manual of Style → American English → honor
• Oxford Style Manual → British English → honour

Tip 4: Apply the Rule to Every Derivative 

If you decide on honour, you must also write: honoured, honouring, honourable, honouree. 

Don’t write honour in one line and honorable in the next.

Example: It was an honour to be honoured with such a honourable distinction.

Tip 5: The Exception List 

No matter which English variety you write in, these words are always written without a “u”:

• Honorary ✅ (never: honourary)
• Honorific ✅ (never: honourific)
• Honorarium ✅ (never: honourarium)

Write these on a sticky note if you need to. These are non-negotiable across all varieties of English.

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Final Thoughts

Honor or honour meaning is identical. 

The only real difference is geography. 

American English uses honor. British English uses honour. That’s it.

So is it honor or honour? The answer depends entirely on your audience. 

If you’re writing for readers in the United States, use honor. If you’re writing for the UK, Canada, Australia, or most Commonwealth countries, use honour. 

For wedding planning, the same rule applies: maid of honor or honour follows your document’s overall English variety.

Whether you write honor or honour, you’re spelling it correctly. The only mistake is inconsistency.

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