Have you ever typed persue and then stopped because the word suddenly looked wrong? You are not alone.
Persue vs pursue is a common spelling question because the two forms look extremely similar, and the pronunciation of pursue does not make its spelling immediately obvious.
But there is an important point to settle first: pursue is the correct spelling. Persue is a misspelling.
Unlike pairs such as color and colour, these are not two accepted regional spellings. Unlike advisor and adviser, they are not alternative forms.
And unlike words that have changed meaning over time, persue does not have a separate standard meaning that makes it correct in a particular situation.
The correct word is pursue. It is a verb meaning to follow or chase someone or something, or to work toward achieving something such as a goal, career, education, dream, or objective. Cambridge and Oxford both list pursue as a verb and give these kinds of meanings.
This guide explains persue vs pursue from every angle: spelling, pronunciation, grammar, meaning, etymology, word forms, professional usage, academic writing, common mistakes, and practical examples.
Quick Answer
Pursue is the correct spelling. Persue is a misspelling and should not be used in standard English.
Use pursue when you mean to follow, chase, seek, continue, or work toward achieving something.
Examples:
- She wants to pursue a career in medicine.
- The police pursued the suspect.
- He decided to pursue his dream.
- We should pursue a different solution.
There is no standard British-versus-American spelling difference here: pursue is the standard spelling in both varieties of English.
Persue vs Pursue: Comparison Table
| Feature | Persue | Pursue |
|---|---|---|
| Correct spelling | ❌ No | ✅ Yes |
| Standard English word | ❌ No | ✅ Yes |
| Part of speech | — | Verb |
| Basic meaning | No standard meaning | Follow, chase, seek, or work toward |
| Pronunciation | Not a standard word | UK /pəˈsjuː/, US /pɚˈsuː/ |
| Formal writing | Avoid | Correct |
| Academic writing | Avoid | Correct |
| Business writing | Avoid | Correct |
| Everyday English | Avoid | Correct |
| British English | Incorrect spelling | Correct |
| American English | Incorrect spelling | Correct |
| Regional variant | No | Standard |
| Common error | Yes | Correct form |
| Related noun | — | pursuit |
| Related adjective | — | pursuant |
| Related person | — | pursuer |
| -ing form | — | pursuing |
| Past tense | — | pursued |
| Memory clue | ❌ | PUrsue |
Quick rule: If you mean follow, chase, seek, or work toward a goal, spell it pursue.
What Does “Pursue” Mean?
Pursue is a verb with several closely related meanings.
At its most basic level, it involves following something or someone. From that physical idea, English developed broader meanings involving goals, plans, careers, interests, investigations, and objectives.
Cambridge gives pursue meanings including following someone or something to catch them, trying to achieve something, investigating a matter, and trying to persuade someone to accept something such as a job.
Pursue meaning: to follow or chase
The physical meaning is straightforward.
The police pursued the stolen vehicle.
Here, pursued means followed or chased.
Other examples include:
- The dog pursued the rabbit.
- The hunters pursued their prey.
- The officers pursued the suspect.
- The cyclist was pursued by a group of reporters.
Pursue meaning: to work toward a goal
The word is also commonly used in an abstract sense.
She decided to pursue her dream of becoming a writer.
Here, nobody is physically chasing anything. Pursue means to actively work toward achieving something.
Common combinations include:
- pursue a goal
- pursue a dream
- pursue an ambition
- pursue a career
- pursue an education
- pursue an opportunity
- pursue a degree
- pursue a solution
- pursue an objective
- pursue a strategy
Oxford specifically gives examples involving pursuing goals, aims, objectives, policies, careers, and dreams.
Pursue meaning: to continue with something
Pursue can also describe continuing with a course of action.
For example:
The company decided to pursue the proposed strategy.
This means the company decided to continue working toward or carrying out that strategy.
Similarly:
We should pursue this line of research.
This means the researchers should continue investigating it.
Pursue meaning: investigate or seek information
The word can also be used when someone tries to discover more about something.
The journalist pursued the story for several months.
Here, pursued means the journalist continued investigating or seeking information about the story.
Cambridge’s Business English definition includes trying to discover information about a subject and examples involving pursuing a matter or story.
What Is “Persue”?
In standard modern English, persue is not the correct spelling of the verb pursue.
When someone writes persue while intending the meaning follow, chase, seek, or work toward, the intended word is almost always pursue.
For example:
❌ She wants to persue a career in law.
✅ She wants to pursue a career in law.
The problem is spelling, not meaning. You do not need to find a special definition for persue and you should not treat it as an alternative spelling of pursue.
Is “persue” a British spelling?
No.
This is an important distinction. Some English words genuinely have different British and American spellings, such as:
- colour / color
- organise / organize
- centre / center
Persue vs pursue is not one of those cases.
The standard spelling is pursue in both British and American English.
Is “persue” an old spelling?
There is no reason to use persue as an archaic or historical alternative in modern English. The standard word that developed into today’s English pursue has a long history, but that does not make persue an acceptable modern variant.
For ordinary writing, the rule is simple:
Write pursue, not persue.
The Origin and Etymology of “Pursue”
The spelling of pursue becomes easier to understand when you look at its history.
The word entered English in the late 13th century from Anglo-French and Old French forms related to poursuir and porsivre. These forms ultimately trace back to Latin prosequi, meaning roughly “follow,” “follow after,” or “pursue.”
The Latin elements are associated with the idea of moving forward and following.
Over time, English expanded the word’s meaning.
The historical development broadly moved from:
follow → chase → continue along a course → seek → work toward an objective
That helps explain why modern English can use pursue for both physical and abstract actions.
For example:
The police pursued the suspect.
and:
She pursued a career in medicine.
These sentences look very different, but both preserve the basic idea of deliberately following something.
Dictionary.com also traces pursue through Middle English and Anglo-French to Latin prosequi.
How to Pronounce “Pursue”
The pronunciation of pursue is one reason some writers may be tempted to spell it persue.
Cambridge gives these pronunciations:
- UK: /pəˈsjuː/
- US: /pɚˈsuː/
A simple learner-friendly approximation is:
per-SOO
The second syllable receives the main stress.
The spelling, however, is:
P-U-R-S-U-E
not:
P-E-R-S-U-E
The pronunciation should therefore not be used as a guide for replacing the u with e.
Spelling tip: Remember the beginning as PUR-, not PER-.
Is “Pursue” a Verb?
Yes. Pursue is a verb.
More specifically, it is normally used as a transitive verb, meaning it commonly takes an object.
Examples:
- pursue a goal
- pursue a career
- pursue a dream
- pursue an opportunity
- pursue a solution
- pursue a suspect
- pursue a degree
- pursue research
For example:
Maya wants to pursue a career in engineering.
The object of pursue is a career in engineering.
Present tense
The base form is:
pursue
Examples:
- I pursue my goals.
- We pursue new opportunities.
- They pursue higher education.
With he, she, or it, add -s:
pursues
Examples:
- She pursues her ambitions.
- He pursues every opportunity.
- The company pursues sustainable growth.
Past tense
The past tense is:
pursued
Examples:
- She pursued her dream.
- They pursued the suspect.
- He pursued a different career.
Notice the spelling:
pursued
not:
❌ persued
❌ pursuid
❌ pursueed
-ing form
The present participle and gerund form is:
pursuing
Examples:
- She is pursuing a degree.
- They are pursuing new opportunities.
- He is pursuing a solution.
- We are pursuing further research.
A particularly common spelling mistake is:
❌ persuing
The correct form is:
✅ pursuing
Pursue, Pursued, Pursuing, and Pursuit
Learning the word family can make the spelling much easier.
| Word | Part of Speech | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| pursue | Verb | Follow, seek, or work toward |
| pursues | Verb | Third-person singular form |
| pursued | Verb | Past tense/past participle |
| pursuing | Verb/adjective/gerund | Continuing to follow or seek |
| pursuit | Noun | The act of pursuing |
| pursuer | Noun | A person who pursues |
| pursuant | Adjective/preposition-like formal term | Following or in accordance with something |
Examples:
She wants to pursue a medical career.
She pursued a medical career after university.
She is pursuing a medical career.
Her pursuit of excellence inspired her colleagues.
The noun pursuit is especially useful as a memory aid because it reinforces the pur- spelling.
Why Do People Write “Persue”?
The error is understandable even though the spelling is incorrect.
Pronunciation can be misleading
The first syllable of pursue is unstressed. In natural speech, it may sound less distinct than the written pur- suggests.
Cambridge’s pronunciation shows the reduced first syllable in both British and American English.
That can encourage people to spell the word based on how it sounds.
The “per-” pattern is common
English has many familiar words beginning with per-, such as:
- perform
- perhaps
- permit
- perfect
- person
- perceive
Because per- is a familiar spelling pattern, writers may unconsciously replace pur- with per-.
Fast typing causes letter substitutions
When people type quickly, they may remember the sound but not the exact sequence of letters.
This is particularly easy with uncommon or frequently used vocabulary.
Similar words can interfere
English contains words such as peruse, persuade, and pursuit, which can create additional spelling confusion.
That makes it useful to keep the words separate.
Pursue vs Peruse vs Persuade
These words are different, even though their spellings and pronunciations can cause confusion.
Pursue
Pursue means to follow, seek, or work toward something.
She plans to pursue a career in teaching.
Peruse
Peruse means to read or examine something, traditionally with careful attention; in modern usage it is also sometimes used more loosely for looking through something.
I perused the report before the meeting.
Persuade
Persuade means to convince someone to do or believe something.
She persuaded him to apply for the position.
A useful distinction is:
pursue = follow or seek
peruse = read or examine
persuade = convince
Do not let the similar-looking beginnings make you treat these words as interchangeable.
Key Differences Between Persue and Pursue
The central difference is actually very simple:
- Pursue is the correct standard spelling.
- Persue is a misspelling.
- Pursue is a verb.
- Persue should not be used as an alternative verb.
- Pursue works in casual, professional, academic, and formal writing.
- Persue should be corrected wherever it appears.
- There is no standard US/UK distinction that makes persue acceptable.
- The correct word family includes pursued, pursuing, pursuit, and pursuer.
How to Use “Pursue” Naturally
The verb commonly appears with nouns describing something that can be followed, achieved, investigated, or sought.
Pursue a career
After graduation, Daniel decided to pursue a career in finance.
Pursue a goal
She worked hard to pursue her long-term goals.
Pursue a dream
He moved abroad to pursue his dream of becoming a filmmaker.
Pursue an opportunity
The company plans to pursue new opportunities in international markets.
Pursue a degree
She is pursuing a master’s degree in education.
Pursue a solution
The engineers are pursuing a practical solution to the problem.
Pursue further research
The researchers recommended pursuing further research.
Pursue legal action
In formal and legal contexts, pursue can describe taking action through an established process.
The company decided to pursue legal action.
Pursue a suspect
Here, the meaning becomes more physical:
The officers pursued the suspect through several streets.
20 Real-Life Examples of “Pursue”
Here are original examples covering everyday conversation, education, business, professional writing, social media, and academic contexts.
Everyday conversation
- I want to pursue photography as a serious hobby.
- She decided to pursue her dream instead of giving up on it.
- Are you planning to pursue a career in medicine?
- He is pursuing a new opportunity in another city.
School and education
- After high school, Sara plans to pursue a degree in computer science.
- Students should pursue subjects that genuinely interest them.
- He decided to pursue further studies after completing his bachelor’s degree.
Business
- The company is pursuing several new markets this year.
- Our team will pursue the most practical solution to the problem.
- The manager asked us to pursue every reasonable opportunity.
- The business decided not to pursue the proposed partnership.
Professional writing
- We intend to pursue further discussions with the client next week.
- The organization is pursuing a long-term strategy for sustainable growth.
- Please let us know if you wish to pursue this opportunity.
Academic writing
- Future researchers may wish to pursue this question in greater detail.
- The study suggests that additional research should pursue this line of inquiry.
- Several scholars have pursued different explanations for the phenomenon.
Daily speaking and texting
- I think you should pursue it if you really want it.
- She finally decided to pursue her passion.
- Don’t stop now—keep pursuing your goal.
Social media
- Sometimes you have to pursue the dream before you know exactly where it will lead.
- I’m finally pursuing something I’ve wanted to do for years.
These examples show that pursue is not limited to formal English. It is perfectly natural in ordinary conversation when the context calls for the idea of deliberately working toward something.
Common Mistakes With “Persue”
Mistake 1: Writing “persue a career”
❌ She wants to persue a career in medicine.
Why it is wrong: The spelling persue is not the standard spelling of the verb.
Correct:
✅ She wants to pursue a career in medicine.
Better natural alternative:
✅ She wants to build a career in medicine.
Mistake 2: Writing “persuing”
❌ He is persuing a degree in law.
Correct:
✅ He is pursuing a degree in law.
Remember that the base word is pursue, so the -ing form is pursuing.
Mistake 3: Writing “persued”
❌ The police persued the suspect.
Correct:
✅ The police pursued the suspect.
The past tense is formed as pursued.
Mistake 4: Treating “persue” as a British spelling
❌ Persue is British English and pursue is American English.
That is incorrect.
✅ Pursue is standard in both British and American English.
Cambridge lists different UK and US pronunciations, but the spelling remains pursue.
Mistake 5: Confusing pursue with persuade
❌ She pursued him to change his mind.
If the intended meaning is “convinced him,” the correct verb is persuaded.
✅ She persuaded him to change his mind.
But if she physically followed him:
✅ She pursued him down the street.
Context determines which word you need.
Memory Tricks for “Pursue”
The easiest way to remember pursue is to focus on the first four letters:
Trick 1: “PUR” comes first
Think:
PUR + SUE = PURSUE
Not:
PER + SUE
When you see the meaning “follow or seek,” start with PUR.
Trick 2: Connect it with “pursuit”
If you remember pursuit, you can remember pursue.
- pursue
- pursued
- pursuing
- pursuit
All use the pur- spelling.
Trick 3: Think “PU = pursue”
A simple visual reminder:
PUrsue = follow a PUrpose.
This is not the etymology of the word; it is simply a memory device.
Trick 4: Remember the goal
If you are working toward a goal, you pursue it.
pursue a dream
pursue a goal
pursue a career
pursue an education
That mental association makes the spelling easier to recall.
Memory rule: “A goal is something you PURsue.”
Is “Pursue” Formal or Informal?
Pursue can be used in both everyday and formal English.
However, it often sounds somewhat more formal than simpler verbs such as go after, try for, or work toward.
Compare:
She wants to pursue a career in law.
with:
She wants to work toward a career in law.
Both are possible, but pursue a career is a very established collocation and is especially common in professional, educational, and formal contexts.
In business and academic writing, pursue is frequently used with words such as:
- objective
- strategy
- policy
- research
- opportunity
- solution
- career
- degree
- goal
- course of action
Oxford and Cambridge both document these broader uses.
Pursue in Professional and Academic Writing
The word is particularly useful when writing about long-term effort or deliberate action.
In a résumé or cover letter
I am eager to pursue opportunities that allow me to develop my research skills.
In a university application
I hope to pursue a degree that combines technology and business.
In a research paper
Further studies could pursue this question using a larger sample.
In a business report
The company should pursue a more sustainable approach to production.
In an email
We would like to pursue this opportunity and discuss the next steps.
In all these examples, pursue is appropriate because the writer is describing deliberate effort toward an objective.
US vs UK English: Is There a Difference?
For persue vs pursue, there is no meaningful spelling difference between American and British English.
Both use:
pursue
The pronunciation can differ.
Cambridge lists the UK pronunciation as /pəˈsjuː/ and the US pronunciation as /pɚˈsuː/.
So you may hear a difference in pronunciation, but you should not write persue because of that difference.
| Variety | Correct spelling | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| British English | pursue | /pəˈsjuː/ |
| American English | pursue | /pɚˈsuː/ |
| Both | pursue | Different pronunciation patterns |
Grammar and Sentence Structure
Because pursue is a transitive verb, it commonly follows a subject and takes an object.
Basic structure
Subject + pursue + object
She pursued her goal.
Subject + pursues + object
He pursues excellence.
Subject + pursued + object
They pursued the opportunity.
Subject + is/are + pursuing + object
We are pursuing a solution.
With “to”
A common mistake is assuming pursue itself needs to before its object.
Correct:
She pursued a career in medicine.
Not:
❌ She pursued to a career in medicine.
However, to can naturally appear elsewhere in a sentence:
She decided to pursue a career in medicine.
Here, to belongs to decided to pursue, not to the object after pursue.
Common Collocations With “Pursue”
Learning collocations is one of the best ways to use the word naturally.
Common combinations include:
- pursue a career
- pursue a goal
- pursue a dream
- pursue an ambition
- pursue an objective
- pursue an opportunity
- pursue a degree
- pursue education
- pursue research
- pursue a solution
- pursue a strategy
- pursue a policy
- pursue a course of action
- pursue legal action
- pursue a claim
- pursue a suspect
- pursue a matter
- pursue an interest
These combinations also help you recognize pursue when reading professional, academic, or formal English.
When Should You Use “Pursue”?
Use pursue when you mean:
- Follow someone or something
- The officers pursued the suspect.
- Chase something
- The dog pursued the rabbit.
- Work toward a goal
- She pursued her ambition.
- Seek an opportunity
- He pursued a new opportunity.
- Continue an activity or course
- They pursued further research.
- Investigate something
- The journalist pursued the story.
- Take formal action
- The company pursued legal action.
When Should You Not Use “Pursue”?
Do not use pursue simply because it sounds formal.
For example, if you mean read, use read, not pursue.
If you mean convince, use persuade, not pursue.
If you mean look at casually, depending on the context, browse or look through may be more natural.
Good writing is not about choosing the most sophisticated-looking word. It is about choosing the word that expresses your intended meaning accurately.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is “persue” or “pursue” correct?
Pursue is correct. Persue is a misspelling when the intended word is the verb meaning to follow, chase, seek, or work toward something.
Is “persue” a real English word?
No, not as the standard spelling of the verb pursue. If you intend the standard English verb, write pursue.
Why do people spell pursue as persue?
The mistake is likely encouraged by pronunciation, the familiar per- spelling pattern in English, and simple typing or memory errors. The correct spelling is pursue.
Is “persue” correct in British English?
No. British English uses pursue, just as American English does.
Is “pursue” a verb?
Yes. Pursue is a verb. It can mean to follow or chase someone or something, or to work toward achieving a goal, career, dream, or objective.
What is the past tense of pursue?
The past tense is pursued.
She pursued her goal.
The past participle is also pursued.
She has pursued several opportunities.
Is it “persuing” or “pursuing”?
The correct spelling is pursuing.
❌ persuing
✅ pursuing
Is it “persued” or “pursued”?
The correct spelling is pursued.
❌ persued
✅ pursued
What is the noun form of pursue?
The most common noun is pursuit.
For example:
The pursuit of knowledge can continue throughout life.
A Simple “Persue vs Pursue” Rule
If you remember only one thing from this article, remember this:
Pursue is correct. Persue is not.
When you mean follow, chase, seek, or work toward, use:
P-U-R-S-U-E
Examples:
- pursue a career
- pursue a dream
- pursue a goal
- pursue an opportunity
- pursue a solution
- pursue a suspect
- pursue further research
And when you need the related forms:
- pursue
- pursues
- pursued
- pursuing
- pursuit
- pursuer
Keeping this word family together makes the spelling much easier to remember.
Final Verdict
The answer to persue vs pursue is clear: pursue is the correct spelling.
Persue is not an alternative British spelling, American spelling, formal spelling, or informal spelling of pursue. When it appears in standard English writing with the intended meaning of following, chasing, seeking, or working toward something, it should be corrected to pursue.
Use pursue in everyday conversation, emails, professional documents, academic writing, business communication, applications, and formal writing.
Remember the spelling:
PUR + SUE = PURSUE
So write:
✅ I want to pursue my goals.
Not:
❌ I want to persue my goals.
The easiest long-term memory trick is to connect pursue with pursuit. Both begin with pur-, and both express the idea of following or seeking something.
Bottom line: If you’re choosing between persue and pursue, choose pursue every time.
Evan Bennett is a language enthusiast who writes simple, clear guides about word meanings, slang, phrases, and everyday expressions.
He helps readers understand modern language quickly with easy explanations and useful examples.