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flavour

noun · US spelling: flavor

US /ˈfleɪ.vɚ/UK /ˈfleɪ.və/

What flavour means

How a food or drink tastes, for example sweet, salty or smoky. A flavour is also one kind of taste you can choose, like the flavours of ice cream.

  • This soup has a lovely smoky flavour.

  • Mint is my favourite ice cream flavour.

Test yourself

Five questions about flavour

  1. Question 1 of 5Meaning

    What does flavour mean?

Keys 1 to 4 pick an answer, Enter goes on.

Flavour in a sentence

5 more examples of flavour in everyday situations.

  • At a café

    Which flavour of syrup would you like in your latte?

  • Cooking

    A little lemon juice brings out the flavour of the fish.

  • Shopping

    The new chips come in three flavours, including chili and lime.

  • A review

    The burger was juicy, but the sauce had almost no flavour.

  • As a verb

    She flavours the rice with saffron and a little butter.

How to use flavour

Flavour is the British spelling and flavor is the American one. Both are correct. Choose one and keep to it in the same piece of writing.

Flavour and taste are close. Taste is also the sense (your sense of taste) and the verb (it tastes good). Flavour is mostly a noun, and it often means one kind of taste: “Which flavour would you like?”

It can also mean the general feel of something: “The film has a strong 1980s flavour.”

Forms

  • flavoursplural
  • flavourverb
  • flavouredpast / adjective
  • flavouring-ing form / noun
  • flavorUS spelling

Patterns

  • a flavour of ice cream
  • full of flavour
  • flavour something with something
  • strawberry-flavoured yogurt

Common mistakes with flavour

  • NotThis cake flavours delicious.

    SayThis cake tastes delicious.

    To say how food is, use the verb taste. Flavour as a verb means to add taste: “Flavour the sauce with garlic.”

  • NotWhat taste of ice cream do you want?

    SayWhat flavour of ice cream do you want?

    When you choose between kinds, like chocolate or vanilla, use flavour.

Flavour or taste?

flavour or taste
Taste is also your sense and a verb (it tastes sweet). Flavour is mostly a noun for the particular taste of a food, or one kind you choose: ask “Which flavour?”, not “Which taste?”

Flavour is a B1 word. Is that your level? Take the level test or count the words you know.

Flavour word family and collocations

The words that go with flavour, so you can use it in a whole phrase.

Common collocations

  • a rich flavour
  • a strong flavour
  • add flavour
  • bring out the flavour
  • full of flavour

Word family

  • flavour (noun, verb)
  • flavoured (adjective)
  • flavourful (adjective)
  • flavourless (adjective)
  • flavouring (noun)

Similar words

  • taste

Questions about flavour

Is it flavour or flavor?

Flavour is the British spelling and flavor is the American one. They mean exactly the same thing, so choose one spelling and use it all the way through your text.

Is flavour countable?

Yes, when it means one kind: “three flavours of ice cream”. When it means taste in general it is often uncountable: “This sauce has a lot of flavour.”

The word before

Do you still remember prescription?

One question about the word from 16 October. Remembering a word a day later helps it stay.

Open prescription

One question

  1. What does prescription mean?

Keys 1 to 4 pick an answer.

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