In everyday English, people often shorten the word favorite to fav. This abbreviation is extremely popular on social media, in text messages, online reviews, and casual conversations.
However, when talking about more than one favorite thing, many people become confused:
- Is it favs?
- Or should it be faves?
The good news is that both forms are used in modern English, but one is generally considered the more common and natural choice.
In this guide, you’ll learn the difference between favs and faves, discover which form sounds more natural to most native speakers, and see plenty of examples you can use confidently.
Quick Answer
Faves
Most common
Favs
Also acceptable
Fav’s
Incorrect plural
Most native speakers and online publications prefer faves when writing casually.
For example:
My favorite movies are my all-time faves.
However, favs is also widely used, especially in social media posts, playlists, and short captions.
What Does “Fav” Mean?
Fav is an informal abbreviation of favorite.
Examples:
- This is my fav song.
- She is my fav author.
- What’s your fav dessert?
Because fav is a shortened form, English speakers created different plural versions over time.
Why “Faves” Is Usually Preferred
When English words ending in a consonant sound are shortened, speakers often add -es to make the plural sound smoother.
For example:
| Singular | Plural |
|---|---|
| photo | photos |
| memo | memos |
| hero | heroes |
| fav | faves |
Faves flows more naturally in speech:
These are my faves.
This is why you’ll frequently see:
- current faves
- beauty faves
- summer faves
- Netflix faves
Is “Favs” Wrong?
No.
Favs is not grammatically wrong. It is simply a shorter, more clipped version.
You’ll often see it in:
- Social media captions
- Music playlists
- Gaming communities
- Product reviews
- Text messages
Examples:
- Top 10 anime favs.
- These snacks are my favs.
- Drop your movie favs below.
Because internet writing tends to favor brevity, favs remains very popular online.
Which Should You Use?
A good rule is:
Use faves in casual writing, blogs, lifestyle content, and everyday conversation.
Use favs in very informal contexts where brevity matters.
For example:
Blog article:
Here are my beauty faves for the month.
Instagram caption:
Current skincare favs ✨
Common Mistake: “Fav’s”
Many people mistakenly add an apostrophe.
❌ fav’s (usually incorrect)
✅ favs
✅ faves
The apostrophe is used for possession, not for making a plural.
Compare:
- My fav’s cover is torn. (The cover belongs to my favorite item.)
- My favs are listed here. (Plural)
Examples in Real Sentences
Using “faves”
- These are my travel faves.
- Her makeup faves changed this year.
- I shared my book faves on the blog.
- What are your comfort-food faves?
Using “favs”
- These songs are my favs.
- Post your Netflix favs.
- My childhood favs are still amazing.
- Share your weekend favs below.
Why Both Forms Exist
English is full of informal abbreviations.
For example:
| Full Word | Short Form |
|---|---|
| application | app |
| advertisement | ad |
| laboratory | lab |
| favorite | fav |
Once a shortened word becomes popular, speakers naturally create different plural forms. Over time, usage determines which version feels more natural.
Today, faves has become especially common in lifestyle, fashion, beauty, food, and entertainment content.
Quick Comparison
| Form | Status |
|---|---|
| fav | Singular abbreviation of favorite |
| faves | Most common plural |
| favs | Also acceptable, more informal |
| fav’s | Usually incorrect as a plural |
