Is It Humor or Humour? | Meaning, Spelling & Examples
Humor and humour are two ways of spelling the noun meaning “the characteristic of being amusing” or “mood.” The word can also be used as a verb to mean “indulge.” The spelling depends on the type of English you use.
- In American English, “humor” is correct.
- In British English, “humour” is standard.
It’s important to choose one spelling and use it consistently. The QuillBot Grammar Checker can help you with this.
After a good night’s sleep, her humor/humour improved drastically.
The principal decided to humor/humour the student’s imaginative story even though it was quite far-fetched.
Other forms of humor or humour
The same spelling difference applies to the past tense form humoured or humored and the present participle or gerund humouring or humoring.
- In British English, “humoured” and “humouring” are standard.
- In American English, “humored” and “humoring” are correct.
Humouring/humoring the elderly gentleman, the nurse patiently listened to his tales of the past.
Humourous or humorous
Even though “humour” is the correct spelling in British English, the related adjective humorous is always spelled without a “u,” both in American and British English. “Humorous” is a synonym for “amusing.”
Elsie wrote a humorous poem that had everyone laughing.
The humorous plot twist caught the entire audience in the theater by surprise.
Main differences between American and British English
American and British English are very similar, but there are a few main differences in spelling. Some differences are:
| Difference | Rule | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| -or vs -our | In American English, many Latin-derived words end in -or. | Behavior or behaviour Color or colour Favor or favour Flavor or flavour Favorite or favourite Honor or honour Humor or humour Labor or labour Neighbor or neighbour |
| In British English, these same words end in -our. | ||
| -er vs -re | In American English, some French, Latin, or Greek words end in -er. | Center or centre Fiber or fibre Theater or theatre |
| In British English, these same words end in -re. | ||
| -ize vs -ise | In American English, many Greek-derived words end in -yze or -ize. | Analyze or analyse Organization or organisation Realize or realise Recognize or recognise |
| In British English, these words end in -yse or -ise. | ||
| -ed vs -t | In American English, most verbs are regular and form their past tense with the suffix -ed. | Burned or burnt Dreamed or dreamt Kneeled or knelt Learned or learnt Smelled or smelt Spelled or spelt Spilled or spilt |
| In British English, some of these verbs are irregular and form their past tense with the suffix -t. | ||
| Single vs double consonant | In American English, many words are spelled with a single consonant. | Buses or busses Canceled or cancelled Counselor or counsellor Focused or focussed Labeled or labelled Modeling or modelling Traveling or travelling |
| In British English, these same words are often spelled with a double consonant. | ||
| Dropping vs retaining the “e” | In American English, “e” is often dropped when forming a noun from a verb | Acknowledgment or acknowledgement Aging or ageing Judgment or judgement |
| In British English, the “e” is often retained. | ||
| Different verb and noun spellings | In American English, most words have identical verb and noun spellings. | License or licence Practice or practise |
| In British English, some words have different spellings for the verb and noun forms. | ||
| Other spelling differences | There are many other spelling differences between the two English variants. | Airplane or aeroplane Aluminum or aluminium Check or cheque Cozy or cosy Defense or defence Dependent or dependant Enrollment or enrolment Fulfil or fulfill Gray or grey Jewelry or jewellery Karat or carat Mold or mould Offense or offence Pajamas or pyjamas Program or programme Skeptical or sceptical Tire or tyre |
Other interesting articles
If you want to know more about job applications, research, or idioms, make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples.
Job applications
Research
Frequently asked questions about humor or humour
- Is it humor or humour in Australia?
-
Humor and humour are two spellings of the same noun or verb. The spelling depends on the type of English.
- In American English, you use “humor.”
- In British English, you use “humour.”
Australian English mostly follows British English guidelines, so humour is correct.
The same difference applies to similar words, such as “behavior or behaviour,” “labor or labour,” “favor or favour,” “favorite or favourite,” “color or colour,” and “honor or honour.”
It’s important to choose one and use it consistently. The QuillBot Grammar Checker can help you with this.
- Is it sense of humour or humor?
-
Humor and humour are two spellings of the same noun or verb. The spelling depends on the type of English.
- In American English, you use “humor,” so “sense of humor” is correct.
- In British English, you use “humour,” so “sense of humour” is correct.
The same difference applies to similar words, such as “behavior or behaviour,” “labor or labour,” “favor or favour,” “favorite or favourite,” “color or colour,” and “honor or honour.”
A QuillBot grammar check can help ensure you’re using either “sense of humor” or “sense of humour” consistently.
- Is it vitreous humour or humor?
-
Humor and humour are two spellings of the same noun or verb. The spelling depends on the type of English.
- In American English, you use “humor,” so “vitreous humor” is correct.
- In British English, you use “humour,” so “vitreous humour” is correct.
“Vitreous humour/humor” refers to the clear, gelatinous mass that fills the space in the eye between the retina and lens.
The same difference applies to similar words, such as “behavior or behaviour,” “labor or labour,” “favor or favour,” “favorite or favourite,” “color or colour,” and “honor or honour.”
A QuillBot grammar check can help you use either “humor” or “humour” correctly.
