Humor or Humour | Meaning, Spelling & Examples
Humor and humour are different spellings of the noun meaning ‘mood’ and ‘the quality of being amusing’ and the verb meaning ‘indulge’.
The spelling tends to vary depending on whether you’re using UK or US English:
- In US English, ‘humor’ (no ‘u’) is standard.
- In UK English, ‘humour’ (with a ‘u’) is the correct spelling.
Kevin is often grumpy, but he seems to be in good humor/humour today.
Have a sense of humor/humour! I was just being facetious.
Kate humors/humours Leon by listening to his spoken word poetry.
Other forms of the word
The same spelling distinction carries over to related words, such as ‘humored/humoured’ and ‘humoring/humouring’.
- In US English, ‘humored’ and ‘humoring’ (no ‘u’) are standard.
- In UK English, ‘humoured’ and ‘humouring’ (with a ‘u’) are correct.
I don’t mean to be callous, but I was just humoring/humouring you when I said I enjoyed improv!
Exception: Humorous
While ‘humour’ is the standard spelling in UK English, the related adjective humorous (meaning ‘comic’ or ‘amusing’) is used in both US and UK English. ‘Humourous’ is never correct.
Other interesting language articles
If you want to know more about commonly confused words, definitions, common mistakes, and differences between US and UK spellings, make sure to check out some of our other language articles with explanations, examples, and quizzes.
Confused words
Definitions
US vs. UK spellings
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Ryan, E. (2023, March 14). Humor or Humour | Meaning, Spelling & Examples. Scribbr. Retrieved 10 February 2025, from https://www.scribbr.co.uk/uk-vs-us/humor-or-humour/
