Flavor vs. Flavour — What's the Difference?
By Tayyaba Rehman — Updated on August 24, 2023
"Flavor" is the American spelling and "flavour" is the British spelling; both refer to the taste of something.
Difference Between Flavor and Flavour
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
"Flavor" and "flavour" both describe the particular taste of a food or drink. The key difference lies not in their meaning, but in their regional usage. "Flavor" is the preferred spelling in American English, whereas "flavour" is the standard in British English.
Tayyaba Rehman
Aug 24, 2023
If you're reading a recipe or an article on culinary techniques written by an American author, you're more likely to encounter the term "flavor." Conversely, British cookbooks, articles, or television shows will predominantly use the term "flavour."
Tayyaba Rehman
Aug 24, 2023
While the difference in spelling is geographically based, in a globalized world with the internet blurring borders, it's not uncommon to find "flavor" used on a British site or "flavour" on an American one. Still, it's crucial for writers and editors to be consistent with one spelling or the other within a particular document or publication.
Tayyaba Rehman
Aug 24, 2023
When one speaks of "flavor" or "flavour" outside the culinary context, they can also refer to the characteristic quality of something or a distinctive appeal. Regardless of the spelling, the underlying essence of the term remains consistent across both American and British English.
Tayyaba Rehman
Aug 24, 2023
Comparison Chart
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Non-culinary Usage
Can refer to a distinctive quality or appeal.
Can refer to a distinctive quality or appeal.
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Aug 24, 2023
Consistency
Important to maintain consistency in usage.
Important to maintain consistency in usage.
Tayyaba Rehman
Aug 24, 2023
Definitions
Flavor➦
The distinct taste of a food or drink.
The ice cream had a rich vanilla flavor.
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Aug 24, 2023
Flavour➦
The sensation produced by a substance on the taste buds.
The tea had a robust flavour of mint.
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Aug 24, 2023
Flavor➦
A variety of something.
Our app comes in several flavors to suit different users.
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Aug 24, 2023
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Flavor➦
The essence of a thing.
The decor added a flavor of the Mediterranean to the room.
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Aug 24, 2023
Flavour➦
The general impression or effect of something.
The novel had a flavour of mystery and intrigue.
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Aug 24, 2023
Flavor➦
The nature of something's character.
The movie had a dark flavor to it.
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Aug 24, 2023
Flavour➦
A particular quality or atmosphere.
The town has a distinct old-world flavour.
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Aug 24, 2023
Flavor➦
A substance added to food to give it a particular taste.
He added some flavor to the dish using spices.
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Aug 24, 2023
Flavour➦
A type or variety of something.
There are many flavours of this software available.
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Aug 24, 2023
Flavour➦
Standard spelling of flavor#Noun
The flavour of this apple pie is delicious.
Flavour was added to the pudding.
What flavour of bubble gum do you enjoy?
The flavour of an experience.
Debian is one flavour of the Linux operating system.
Tayyaba Rehman
May 20, 2018
Flavor➦
Flavor, or flavour, is the perceptual impression of food or other substances, and is determined primarily by the chemical senses of the gustatory and olfactory system. The "trigeminal senses", which detect chemical irritants in the mouth and throat, as well as temperature and texture, are also important to the overall gestalt of taste perception.
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May 20, 2018
Flavour➦
The general atmosphere of a place or situation and the effect that it has on people;
The feel of the city excited him
A clergyman improved the tone of the meeting
It had the smell of treason
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May 20, 2018
Flavor➦
A distinctive yet intangible quality felt to be characteristic of a given thing
"What matters in literature ... is surely the idiosyncratic, the individual, the flavor or color of a particular human suffering" (Harold Bloom).
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May 20, 2018
Flavour➦
The taste experience when a savoury condiment is taken into the mouth
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May 20, 2018
Flavor➦
Any of six types of quark (down, up, strange, charm, bottom, top), distinguished by generation, electric charge, and mass.
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Flavor➦
Any of six types of lepton (electron, electron neutrino, muon, muon neutrino, tauon, tau neutrino), distinguished by generation, electric charge, and mass.
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May 20, 2018
Flavour➦
An indication of the essential character of something.
His comments had a flavour of sarcasm.
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Aug 24, 2023
Flavor➦
The quality produced by the sensation of taste or, especially, of taste and smell in combined effect.
The flavor of this apple pie is delicious.
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May 20, 2018
Flavor➦
A substance used to produce a taste. Flavoring.
Flavor was added to the pudding.
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May 20, 2018
Flavor➦
A variety (of taste) attributed to an object.
What flavor of bubble gum do you enjoy?
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May 20, 2018
Flavor➦
The characteristic quality of something.
The flavor of an experience
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May 20, 2018
Flavor➦
(informal) A kind or type.
Debian is one flavor of the Linux operating system.
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May 20, 2018
Flavor➦
(particle physics) One of the six types of quarks (top, bottom, strange, charmed, up, and down) or three types of leptons (electron, muon, and tauon).
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May 20, 2018
Flavor➦
(archaic) The quality produced by the sensation of smell; odour; fragrance.
The flavor of a rose
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Flavor➦
That quality of anything which affects the smell; odor; fragrances; as, the flavor of a rose.
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May 20, 2018
Flavor➦
That quality of anything which affects the taste; that quality which gratifies the palate; relish; zest; savor; as, the flavor of food or drink.
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May 20, 2018
Flavor➦
That which imparts to anything a peculiar odor or taste, gratifying to the sense of smell, or the nicer perceptions of the palate; a substance which flavors.
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May 20, 2018
Flavor➦
The general atmosphere of a place or situation and the effect that it has on people;
The feel of the city excited him
A clergyman improved the tone of the meeting
It had the smell of treason
Tayyaba Rehman
May 20, 2018
Flavor➦
That quality which gives character to any of the productions of literature or the fine arts.
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May 20, 2018
Flavor➦
To give flavor to; to add something (as salt or a spice) to, to give character or zest.
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May 20, 2018
Flavor➦
The taste experience when a savoury condiment is taken into the mouth
Tayyaba Rehman
May 20, 2018
FAQs
And where is "flavour" the preferred spelling?
"Flavour" is the preferred spelling in the UK and its former colonies.
Tayyaba Rehman
Aug 24, 2023
In which country would I find "flavor" more commonly used?
"Flavor" is predominantly used in the United States.
Tayyaba Rehman
Aug 24, 2023
How about "flavour"? Can it be used outside of a culinary context?
Absolutely, "flavour" can also describe the characteristic quality or atmosphere of something.
Tayyaba Rehman
Aug 24, 2023
Does "flavour" have the same connotation?
Yes, "flavour" can similarly describe a variety or type, like in "different flavours of experiences."
Tayyaba Rehman
Aug 24, 2023
Are "flavor" and "flavour" synonyms?
Yes, they mean the same thing, but their spelling differs based on American vs. British English.
Tayyaba Rehman
Aug 24, 2023
If I'm writing for a global audience, which spelling should I use?
Choose based on your target audience or the style guide you're following, but be consistent.
Tayyaba Rehman
Aug 24, 2023
Can "flavor" refer to something other than taste?
Yes, "flavor" can also describe a distinctive quality or nature of something.
Tayyaba Rehman
Aug 24, 2023
What's the primary difference between the two words?
The main difference is regional spelling: "flavor" is American, and "flavour" is British.
Tayyaba Rehman
Aug 24, 2023
Can "flavor" also mean a variety or type of something?
Yes, like in the phrase "different flavors of software."
Tayyaba Rehman
Aug 24, 2023
Can I interchangeably use both spellings in a single document?
It's best to stick to one spelling for consistency in any given document.
Tayyaba Rehman
Aug 24, 2023
Author Spotlight
Written by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform.
Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
