favor
fa·vor/ˈfeɪ.vɚ/noun, verb
favor is spelled F-A-V-O-R: 5 letters and 2 syllables (fa·vor). It appears 38 times per million words in written English, the 2,581st most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, favor means “A kind or helpful deed; an instance of voluntarily assisting (someone)” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of favor is favors.
How many letters and syllables are in favor?
| Letters | 5: F-A-V-O-R |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2: fa·vor |
| In writing | 38 times per million words; the 2,581st most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is favor?
Favor appears 38 times per million words in written English, the 2,581st most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce favor?
- UK /ˈfeɪ.və/
- US /ˈfeɪ.vɚ/
Favor has 2 syllables, split fa·vor in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-favor.ogg, En-us-favour.ogg, LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-favor.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with favor?
9 words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as favor from its last stressed vowel (/eɪvəɹ/):
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of favor
- favors plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- favour
- favoring participle, present
- favored participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does favor mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A kind or helpful deed; an instance of voluntarily assisting (someone).
He did me a favor when he took the time to drive me home.
- 2
Goodwill; benevolent regard.
She enjoyed the queen's favor.
- 3
A small gift; a party favor.
wedding favor
- 4
Mildness or mitigation of punishment; lenity.
- 5
The object of regard; person or thing favoured.
- 6
obsoleteAppearance; look; countenance; face.
- 7
Partiality; bias
- 8
archaicA letter, a written communication.
verb
- 1
To look upon fondly; to prefer.
- 2
To use more often.
- 3
To encourage, conduce to
- 4
To do a favor [noun sense 1] for; to show beneficence toward.
Would you favor us with a poetry reading?
- 5
To resemble; especially, to look like (another person).
- 6
To treat or use (something) gently
I always try to favor my bad knee.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Favor in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | faveur , favoriser |
| German | Gefallen, Gefälligkeit, Dienst , Gunst, Gnade, Huld |
| Portuguese | favor , favorecer |
| Spanish | favor , favorecer |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does favor come from?
From Middle English favour, favor, faver, from Anglo-Norman favour, from mainland Old French favor, from Latin favor (“good will; kindness; partiality”), from faveō (“to be kind to”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *bʰeh₂weh₁yeti (“to be favourable to”), from the root Proto-Indo-European *bʰeh₂- (“to shine, glow light”). Respelled in American English to more closely match its Latin etymon.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).