Have you ever typed persue and pursue and wondered which spelling is correct? This is a surprisingly common English spelling mistake because both words look almost identical, and their pronunciation can make the difference easy to overlook.
The correct spelling is pursue. Persue is a misspelling and does not appear as the standard form of the English verb. If you’re writing an email, academic paper, application, article, or professional document, choosing pursue will help your writing look accurate and polished.
Quick Answer
Pursue is the correct spelling. Persue is incorrect.
Pursue means to follow, chase, seek, or work toward something.
Examples
- She plans to pursue a career in medicine.
- The police began to pursue the suspect.
- He decided to pursue his dream of becoming a researcher.
❌ Persue is not the standard English spelling.
What Does Pursue Mean?
Pursue is a verb with several related meanings. It generally describes the act of following something, trying to achieve something, or continuing an activity.
Depending on the context, it can mean:
- To chase or follow someone or something.
- To try to achieve a goal.
- To seek an opportunity.
- To continue an activity.
- To work toward a particular objective.
Examples
- The athlete continued to pursue the championship.
- She decided to pursue higher education.
- The company plans to pursue new markets.
- He chose to pursue his passion for photography.
- Researchers are pursuing new methods to improve crop production.
What Does Persue Mean?
Persue is an incorrect spelling of pursue.
It is a common spelling error, especially among people who have heard the word but have not seen it written frequently.
Incorrect
- She wants to persue her education. ❌
- They decided to persue the opportunity. ❌
- The police will persue the vehicle. ❌
Correct
- She wants to pursue her education. ✅
- They decided to pursue the opportunity. ✅
- The police will pursue the vehicle. ✅
Persue vs Pursue: Comparison Table
| Feature | Persue | Pursue |
|---|---|---|
| Correct spelling | ❌ No | ✅ Yes |
| Part of speech | — | Verb |
| Meaning | None as standard English word | Follow, chase, seek, or work toward |
| Used in formal writing | No | Yes |
| Example | I want to persue my goal. ❌ | I want to pursue my goal. ✅ |
The simplest rule is to remember that pursue contains the letter combination “pur”, not “per.”
Why Is Pursue So Often Misspelled?
The mistake usually happens because of pronunciation.
When people say pursue, the first syllable can sound similar to words beginning with “per”, depending on the speaker’s accent. As a result, writers may naturally spell the word as persue.
Another reason is that English contains many words beginning with per-, such as:
- perform
- permit
- persist
- persuade
- perceive
This can make persue look reasonable even though it is incorrect.
How to Remember the Correct Spelling
A simple memory trick is:
PURsue = PURpose + pursue
Think of pursue as something you do when you have a purpose or goal.
For example:
I have a purpose, so I will pursue my goal.
Another useful trick is to remember the spelling as:
P-U-R-S-U-E
The word begins with pur, not per.
Pursue Meaning: Follow or Chase
One of the oldest and most familiar meanings of pursue is to chase or follow someone or something.
Examples
- The dog began to pursue the rabbit.
- The police officer pursued the fleeing vehicle.
- The hunter carefully pursued the animal through the forest.
In these sentences, pursue describes physical movement toward something.
Pursue Meaning: Achieve a Goal
In modern English, pursue is very commonly used when talking about goals, ambitions, education, and careers.
Examples
- She wants to pursue a master’s degree.
- He decided to pursue a career in engineering.
- They are pursuing their long-term goals.
- She worked hard to pursue her dream.
Here, the word does not mean physically chasing something. Instead, it means actively working toward achieving it.
Pursue Meaning: Seek an Opportunity
Pursue can also mean to seek or try to obtain something.
Examples
- The company is pursuing new business opportunities.
- We should pursue alternative solutions.
- The researchers are pursuing further investigations.
- She decided to pursue the scholarship.
This usage is especially common in professional, academic, and formal English.
Common Mistakes With Pursue
1. Writing Persue
This is the most common mistake.
Incorrect:
I want to persue my dreams.
Correct:
I want to pursue my dreams.
2. Forgetting the “r”
Some writers accidentally type pusue.
p-u-r-s-u-e
3. Confusing Pursue With Persuade
Pursue and persuade look similar, but they have completely different meanings.
- Pursue = follow, seek, or work toward something.
- Persuade = convince someone to do or believe something.
Example:
She wants to pursue a career in law.
He tried to persuade her to study law.
4. Using Pursue When You Mean Persuade
These words should not be substituted for each other.
Incorrect:
I tried to pursue him to change his mind.
Correct:
I tried to persuade him to change his mind.
American vs British English
There is no spelling difference between American and British English for pursue.
Both varieties use:
Pursue ✅
The spelling persue is incorrect in both American and British English.
American English
- She plans to pursue a career in science.
British English
- She plans to pursue a career in science.
The pronunciation may vary slightly depending on regional accents, but the written form remains the same.
Pursue in Different Forms
Because pursue is a regular verb, its forms are relatively easy to remember.
| Form | Example |
|---|---|
| Base form | pursue |
| Third-person singular | pursues |
| Present participle | pursuing |
| Past tense | pursued |
| Past participle | pursued |
Examples
- I pursue my goals.
- She pursues a career in medicine.
- They are pursuing a new opportunity.
- He pursued his dream.
- The project has been pursued for several years.
Notice that the spelling changes slightly when adding endings, but the basic form remains pursue.
Pursue vs Follow
These words can sometimes have similar meanings, but they are not always interchangeable.
Follow usually means to go behind or come after something.
Pursue often suggests an active effort to catch, obtain, or achieve something.
Compare:
- The child followed his father into the room.
- The athlete pursued the championship.
The second sentence suggests deliberate effort toward a goal.
Pursue vs Chase
Chase generally describes physically running after something.
Pursue can describe physical chasing, but it can also refer to goals, ambitions, careers, education, and opportunities.
For example:
- The police chased the suspect.
- The police pursued the suspect.
- She pursued a career in medicine.
The broader meaning makes pursue especially useful in formal writing.
Examples of Pursue in Sentences
Here are some natural examples you can use as a reference:
- I want to pursue my academic goals.
- She decided to pursue a career in environmental science.
- The team continued to pursue victory.
- He is pursuing a doctoral degree.
- The company is pursuing an innovative strategy.
- Scientists are pursuing new solutions to environmental problems.
- The police pursued the suspect for several miles.
- She finally decided to pursue her lifelong dream.
FAQs
Is persue or pursue correct?
Pursue is the correct spelling. Persue is a common misspelling and should not be used in standard English.
What does pursue mean?
Pursue means to follow, chase, seek, or work toward something. It can describe physical pursuit as well as goals, careers, education, and opportunities.
Why do people spell pursue as persue?
The mistake is usually caused by pronunciation. The first part of pursue can sound similar to per in some accents, making the incorrect spelling seem natural.
Is pursue the same in American and British English?
Yes. Pursue is spelled the same in both American and British English.
Is persue a word?
Persue is not the standard spelling of an English word with the intended meaning of “follow” or “seek.” In most cases, it is simply a misspelling of pursue.
What is the past tense of pursue?
The past tense and past participle are pursued.
Example: She pursued her dream of becoming a scientist.
What is the difference between pursue and persuade?
Pursue means to follow, seek, or work toward something. Persuade means to convince someone to do or believe something.
How can I remember the spelling of pursue?
Remember that pursue begins with PUR, as in purpose. The correct spelling is P-U-R-S-U-E.
Summary
When deciding between persue or pursue, there is a clear winner: pursue is the correct spelling. It is a versatile verb that can mean to chase, follow, seek, or work toward a goal. It is commonly used when discussing education, careers, ambitions, opportunities, research, and personal objectives.
Persue is a common spelling mistake and should be avoided in formal, academic, and professional writing. The spelling is the same in both American and British English, so there is no regional variation to remember. Whenever you’re unsure, remember PUR + SUE = PURSUE, and you’ll be much less likely to make this common error.
