Ardor vs Ardour: Difference and Comparison

There is little difference between ‘Ardor’ and ‘Ardour’. They are both the exact words but with the same meanings, and the different spellings are both considered accurate in the other regions. This is the significant difference between these words.

The words are like words with similar spellings, ‘vigor’ and ‘vigour’ or ‘honor’ and ‘honour’. They are even pronounced the same. 

Key Takeaways

1. Ardor and ardour both describe intense enthusiasm or passion.
2. Ardor is the American English spelling, while ardour is the British English spelling.
3. Both words are interchangeable, with no difference in meaning or usage.

Ardor vs Ardour 

The difference between Ardor and Ardour is that they primarily have different spellings. One is considered accurate in United States English, while the other is deemed accurate in Commonwealth English, the dialect spoken in England. However, both words derive from the same etymology, are pronounced the same, and have the same meaning.  

The Latin word ardor originally meant the same as the French word ardor. It comes from the verb ardere, meaning ‘to burn’. Those words were derived from the Latin verb ‘aridus’, a Proto-Indo-European verb meaning ‘to dry’ and ‘to burn’ and ‘to glow’.

It is considered accurate in United States English.  

Ardour is deemed accurate in Commonwealth English, the dialect spoken in England. It is common for some words in American English to end in -or and in British English to end in -our.

They are derived from French words ending in -ur and Latin words ending in -or. French spellings ending in -our became popular after the Norman conquest of England. 

Comparison Table

Parameters of Comparison	Ardor	Ardour
Region	Deemed accurate in United States.	Deemed accurate in Commonwealth English.
Spelling	Spelled without an ‘u’.	Spelled with an ‘u’.
Prevalent	Is not as prevalent as ‘Ardour’.	Is far more prevalent than ‘Ardor’.
Origin	The United States.	Britain.
Ending	Ends with ‘or’	Ends with ‘our’

What is Ardor? 

The Latin word ardor originally meant the same as the French word ardor. It comes from the verb ardure, meaning ‘to burn’. In the fifteenth century, English first used ardor to describe a warmth that corresponds to passion or desire.

Old French ardure means heat, power, and Latin ador denotes a flame, fire, and burning.  

Those words were derived from the Latin verb ‘aridus’, a Proto-Indo-European verb meaning ‘to dry’ and ‘to burn’ and ‘to glow’. It is considered accurate in United States English. The word is not as prevalent as ‘ardour’.

Ardor is primarily used in the United States, while other parts of the world use ‘Ardour’ as the accurate spelling.  

The pronunciation is a bit different from its other spelling. However, they are both the same, have the same meaning. The only difference between them is that they are used in different regions and have different spellings. 

What is Ardour? 

Ardour is deemed accurate in Commonwealth English, the dialect spoken in England. It is common for some words in American English to end in -or and in British English to end in -our.

The French language’s ‘our’ ending corresponds to a different pronunciation than the ‘or’ sound. At first, Latin words were pronounced with a more ‘-ur’ sound, reflecting their spelling.  

As a result, the pronunciation changed to the ‘-our’ ending in most. Many English words borrowed from French retained their spelling even if they weren’t pronounced the same way.

Even so, many English scholars deeply admired the Latin language, so much so that they imposed Latin restrictions on it, such as not ending sentences with propositions. 

This spelling is much more prevalent than ‘Ardor’ and is almost deemed accurate and used worldwide, other than the United States. However, the meaning is the same, and both the spelling are deemed accurate. 

Main Differences Between Ardor and Ardour 

1. The former spelling is deemed accurate in the United States. On the other hand, the latter is deemed accurate in Britain, and other parts of the world. 
2. The word Ardor is spelt without an ‘u’, whereas, the word ‘Ardour’ is spelt with an ‘u’. 
3. The former is not as prevalent as the latter. On the other hand, the latter is much more prevalent than ‘Ardor’. 
4. The former has its origin in the United States, whereas, the latter has its origin in Britain. 
5. The former ends with an ‘or’, while the latter ends with an ‘our’. 

References

1. https://www.google.co.in/books/edition/Art_and_Ardor/g_AlDwAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=ardor&pg=PT9&printsec=frontcover 
2. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1016/j.ausmj.2013.10.002