“Persue” and “pursue” look very similar, making this spelling mistake easy to make. However, only one is the standard English spelling. Pursue is the correct word and is used when talking about following a goal, activity, person, opportunity, or course of action. Understanding this difference can help make your writing clearer, more accurate, and professional.
Comparison Overview
Persue and pursue are not two different standard English words with different meanings. Instead, they represent a common spelling confusion.
Pursue is the correct spelling. It is a verb meaning to follow, chase, seek, or work toward something.
Persue is generally a misspelling of pursue and should not be used in standard English writing.
For example:
She plans to pursue a career in medicine.
The police continued to pursue the suspect.
He decided to pursue his interest in photography.
The correct spelling contains “pur” at the beginning:
P-U-R-S-U-E
A useful memory trick is to remember that pursue begins with “pur”, not “per.”
| Term | Standard English word? | Meaning | Correct use |
| Persue | No | Usually a misspelling | Avoid in standard writing |
| Pursue | Yes | Follow, seek, chase, or work toward | Use in standard English |
Definition of Persue
Persue is generally an incorrect spelling of the English verb pursue.
Although people sometimes write persue because of the pronunciation or because the beginning sounds similar to other words beginning with per-, it is not the standard spelling.
For example:
I want to persue my dreams. ❌
The correct sentence is:
I want to pursue my dreams. ✅
Why Is “Persue” a Common Mistake?
The mistake often occurs because English spelling does not always match pronunciation perfectly. The first syllable of pursue can be difficult for learners to identify, particularly when speaking quickly.
Writers may also associate the sound with words such as:
- personal
- perfect
- permission
- perform
and incorrectly choose per- instead of pur-.
Is Persue Ever Correct?
In ordinary standard English, persue should not be used as the spelling of the verb meaning “to follow” or “seek.”
If you want to express that meaning, use pursue.
Definition of Pursue
Pursue is a standard English verb meaning to follow, chase, seek, or work toward something.
It has several related meanings depending on context.
Pursue as “Follow or Chase”
When you physically follow someone or something, pursue can mean chase.
Example:
The dog pursued the ball.
It can also describe people or vehicles following someone:
The officers pursued the vehicle.
Pursue as “Work Toward a Goal”
Pursue is often used for goals, ambitions, dreams, and plans.
Examples:
She wants to pursue her dreams.
He is pursuing a career in engineering.
They pursued their goal with determination.
Here, pursue does not mean physically chasing something. Instead, it means actively working toward achieving it.
Pursue as “Seek”
Pursue can also mean to seek or try to obtain something.
Examples:
The company pursued new opportunities.
The researcher pursued an answer to the question.
The team pursued a solution to the problem.
Main Differences Between Persue and Pursue
The distinction between persue and pursue is straightforward.
Pursue Is Correct
Pursue is the standard English spelling.
She decided to pursue her passion.
Persue Is Incorrect
Persue is generally a spelling error.
She decided to persue her passion. ❌
Meaning
Pursue means to follow, chase, seek, or work toward something.
Persue does not have a separate standard meaning in ordinary English.
Grammar
Pursue is a verb.
It can appear in different forms:
- pursue
- pursues
- pursued
- pursuing
The incorrect spelling persue should not be used for these forms.
Comparison Table
| Feature | Persue | Pursue |
| Spelling | Incorrect | Correct |
| Part of speech | Not standard | Verb |
| Meaning | None in standard usage | Follow, chase, seek, or work toward |
| Present form | ❌ | Pursue |
| Third-person form | ❌ | Pursues |
| Past form | ❌ | Pursued |
| -ing form | ❌ | Pursuing |
| Formal writing | Avoid | Appropriate |
Pursue and Its Different Meanings
One reason pursue is such a useful word is that it works in both literal and figurative contexts.
Physical Pursuit
The runner pursued the leader.
Here, pursue means to follow or chase.
Career Pursuit
She decided to pursue a career in science.
Here, it means to work toward or seek a career.
Educational Pursuit
He plans to pursue higher education.
Here, it means to continue working toward an educational goal.
Personal Goals
They pursued their dreams despite difficulties.
Here, it means to actively work toward achieving something.
Business Opportunities
The company pursued new business opportunities.
Here, it means to seek or try to obtain opportunities.
Grammar Guide
Pursue is a regular verb, so its forms follow familiar English patterns.
How Each Term Is Used in Sentences
Pursue as a base-form verb
Use pursue after words such as to, can, will, should, and want to.
Examples:
- I want to pursue my goals.
- She plans to pursue a degree.
- We should pursue another option.
- They will pursue the opportunity.
Pursues as the third-person singular form
When the subject is he, she, it, or another singular noun in the simple present, use pursues.
Examples:
- She pursues her goals.
- The company pursues new opportunities.
- He pursues excellence in his work.
Pursued as the past tense
Use pursued for completed actions in the past.
Examples:
- She pursued a career in teaching.
- They pursued the project last year.
- He pursued the opportunity after graduation.
Pursuing as the -ing form
Use pursuing for continuous actions or as a gerund.
Examples:
- She is pursuing a degree.
- He is pursuing his goals.
- Pursuing a new career requires planning.
Common Mistakes Learners Make
Mistake 1: Writing “persue”
Incorrect:
I want to persue my dreams.
Correct:
I want to pursue my dreams.
Mistake 2: Spelling the past form incorrectly
Incorrect:
She persued her education.
Correct:
She pursued her education.
The past tense is pursued, not “persued.”
Mistake 3: Confusing “pursuing” with “persuing”
Incorrect:
He is persuing a degree.
Correct:
He is pursuing a degree.
Mistake 4: Using the wrong vowel at the beginning
The correct spelling begins:
pur-
not:
per-
Simple Rules to Remember
Use these rules:
- Pursue is the correct spelling.
- Persue is generally a misspelling.
- Remember PUR-sue, not PER-sue.
- Past tense: pursued.
- -ing form: pursuing.
- Use pursue for goals, careers, opportunities, interests, and things you follow or chase.
A helpful memory phrase is:
“PUR-sue your goals.”
Quick Tips for Writing and Speaking
When writing, watch for the first three letters.
If you see:
per-sue ❌
change it to:
pur-sue ✅
Also remember that the spelling changes naturally in other forms:
- pursue
- pursues
- pursued
- pursuing
For formal writing, academic assignments, applications, business documents, and articles, always use the standard spelling pursue.
When to Use Each One
When to Use Pursue
Use pursue when you mean:
- follow someone or something
- chase something
- work toward a goal
- seek an opportunity
- develop an interest
- work toward a career
- continue an education
- seek a solution
- attempt to achieve an objective
Examples:
She wants to pursue a career in medicine.
The team pursued a new strategy.
He pursued his interest in music.
When to Use Persue
In standard English, there is no ordinary situation where you should choose persue instead of pursue when you mean “follow,” “seek,” or “work toward.”
If your intended meaning is one of these, use pursue.
When NOT to Use Each One
Do Not Use Persue in Standard Writing
Avoid:
I plan to persue my education.
Use:
I plan to pursue my education.
Do Not Use Persue in Professional Documents
Job applications, essays, reports, emails, résumés, and business documents should use the standard spelling pursue.
Do Not Confuse Pursue With Similar Words
Pursue can be confused with other words because English contains many words with similar sounds.
Remember:
- pursue = follow, seek, or work toward
- peruse = read or examine carefully
These two words are separate words and have different meanings.
Pursue vs Peruse
An additional spelling issue worth understanding is the difference between pursue and peruse.
Pursue means to follow, seek, chase, or work toward something.
She wants to pursue a career in law.
Peruse means to read, examine, or look through something carefully.
He perused the report before the meeting.
Therefore, neither persue nor peruse should automatically replace pursue.
Which One to Use: Decision Guide
Choosing the correct word is simple.
Are You Talking About Following or Chasing?
Use pursue.
The athlete pursued the leader.
Are You Talking About a Goal?
Use pursue.
She pursued her goal.
Are You Talking About a Career?
Use pursue.
He wants to pursue a career in technology.
Are You Talking About an Opportunity?
Use pursue.
The company pursued a new opportunity.
Are You Writing “Persue”?
Stop and check the spelling.
If you mean follow, chase, seek, or work toward, change it to pursue.
Quick Decision Table
| Intended meaning | Correct form |
| Follow someone | Pursue |
| Chase something | Pursue |
| Work toward a goal | Pursue |
| Seek an opportunity | Pursue |
| Develop an interest | Pursue |
| Work toward a career | Pursue |
| Incorrect spelling | Persue ❌ |
Real-World Practical Examples
Persue Examples
Because persue is generally a misspelling rather than a standard English word, these examples show how it should be corrected.
- Education:
Incorrect: She wants to persue higher education.
Correct: She wants to pursue higher education. - Business:
Incorrect: The company plans to persue new opportunities.
Correct: The company plans to pursue new opportunities. - Career:
Incorrect: He hopes to persue a career in engineering.
Correct: He hopes to pursue a career in engineering. - Writing:
Incorrect: The author decided to persue a different topic.
Correct: The author decided to pursue a different topic. - Daily Conversation:
Incorrect: “I want to persue my interests.”
Correct: “I want to pursue my interests.” - Science:
Incorrect: The researchers will persue a new line of investigation.
Correct: The researchers will pursue a new line of investigation.
Pursue Examples
- Education:
She plans to pursue a degree in biology. - Career:
He decided to pursue a career in engineering. - Business:
The company plans to pursue new markets. - Personal Goals:
She continues to pursue her long-term goals. - Science:
Researchers are pursuing a possible explanation for the unusual results. - Writing:
The author chose to pursue a different approach in the second chapter. - Technology:
The development team is pursuing a new solution to the software problem. - Conversation:
“Do you plan to pursue your interest in photography?”
Self-Assessment (Fill in the Blanks)
- I will use ______ when referring to working toward a career.
- I will use ______ when referring to the standard spelling of the verb meaning “to follow or seek.”
- She plans to ______ higher education.
- The company wants to ______ new business opportunities.
- He decided to ______ his dream of becoming an engineer.
- The researchers will ______ a new line of investigation.
- The athlete continued to ______ the leader.
- I will use ______ rather than “persue” in formal writing.
- She is ______ a degree in science.
- The organization ______ several important goals.
- He ______ a career in technology last year.
- The team will ______ a different strategy.
- “Persue” is generally a ______ of “pursue.”
- I will use ______ when describing the act of chasing something.
- She wants to ______ her interest in music.
- The researchers are ______ a possible solution.
- He ______ the opportunity after considering the risks.
- The correct spelling begins with ______ rather than “per.”
- Students may ______ different academic interests.
- When I mean “follow, seek, or work toward,” I should use ______.
Answers
- Pursue — because it means working toward or seeking a career.
- Pursue — because it is the standard spelling of the verb.
- Pursue — because the sentence refers to working toward higher education.
- Pursue — because a company can seek or work toward business opportunities.
- Pursue — because a dream is something a person can actively work toward.
- Pursue — because researchers can seek or investigate a particular line of inquiry.
- Pursue — because it means to follow or chase someone.
- Pursue — because it is the standard spelling used in formal English.
- Pursuing — because “is” requires the present participle in this continuous construction.
- Pursues — because “organization” is singular and the sentence uses the simple present.
- Pursued — because “last year” indicates a completed past action.
- Pursue — because “will” is followed by the base form of the verb.
- Misspelling — because “persue” is generally an incorrect spelling of “pursue.”
- Pursue — because the verb can mean to chase or follow.
- Pursue — because an interest can be actively developed or followed.
- Pursuing — because “are” is followed by the present participle in the present progressive.
- Pursued — because the sentence describes a completed past action.
- Pur — because the correct spelling is p-u-r-s-u-e.
- Pursue — because students can actively follow or develop academic interests.
- Pursue — because it is the standard verb meaning to follow, seek, chase, or work toward.
Conclusion:
Understanding Persue Or Pursue is straightforward once you remember that pursue is the correct standard English spelling. The word pursue is a verb meaning to follow, chase, seek, or work toward something. You might pursue a career, pursue an education, pursue a goal, pursue an opportunity, or pursue an interest. On the other hand, persue is generally a misspelling and should not be used in standard English writing. The confusion often happens because the pronunciation can make the beginning of the word difficult to spell. A helpful way to remember it is to focus on the first three letters: pur, not per. The correct forms are pursue, pursues, pursued, and pursuing. Whether you are writing an academic assignment, professional email, application, article, or everyday message, choosing pursue will keep your writing accurate, polished, and easy to understand.
FAQs
Is “pursue” the correct spelling?
Yes, pursue is the correct standard English spelling. It is a verb meaning to follow, chase, seek, or work toward something. For example, “She wants to pursue a career in medicine.” The spelling persue is generally incorrect and should be avoided in academic, professional, and everyday English writing.
Is “persue” a word in English?
Persue is generally not recognized as the standard spelling of the English verb meaning “to follow” or “seek.” It is usually a misspelling of pursue. If you want to describe following a goal, career, opportunity, interest, or person, use pursue instead of persue.
What does pursue mean?
Pursue means to follow, chase, seek, or actively work toward something. It can describe physical movement, such as pursuing someone, or an abstract goal, such as pursuing an education. Common expressions include pursue a career, pursue a goal, pursue an opportunity, and pursue an interest.
Why do people spell pursue as persue?
People often spell pursue as persue because the pronunciation can make the first vowel difficult to identify. Writers may also unconsciously associate the word with other English words beginning with “per.” However, the standard spelling begins with pur. Remembering “pur-sue” can make the correct spelling easier to recall.
How do you spell pursue correctly?
The correct spelling is P-U-R-S-U-E: pursue. A useful memory trick is to remember that the word starts with pur, not per. The related forms are pursues, pursued, and pursuing. Keeping the “pur” beginning in mind helps prevent common spelling mistakes.
Is pursue a verb or noun?
Pursue is a verb. It describes an action involving following, seeking, chasing, or working toward something. For example, “They pursue their goals.” Its related forms include pursues, pursued, and pursuing. The noun forms commonly associated with the idea include pursuit and pursuer, depending on the intended meaning.
What is the past tense of pursue?
The past tense of pursue is pursued. For example, “She pursued her dream of becoming a writer.” Notice that the spelling changes from pursue to pursued. The form persued is incorrect when you mean the past tense of pursue.
What is the difference between pursue and peruse?
Pursue and peruse are different words with different meanings. Pursue means to follow, seek, chase, or work toward something. Peruse generally means to read or examine something carefully. For example, you might pursue a career but peruse a report before making a decision.
Can I use pursue for career and education?
Yes, pursue is commonly used when talking about careers and education. Natural expressions include “pursue a career,” “pursue higher education,” and “pursue a degree.” In these contexts, pursue means actively working toward or seeking a particular educational or professional objective.
How can I remember “pursue” instead of “persue”?
The easiest trick is to remember the beginning pur. Think of the phrase “pursue your goals.” The correct spelling is p-u-r-s-u-e, while persue incorrectly replaces “pur” with “per.” If you associate pursue with goals, careers, and dreams, the correct spelling becomes easier to remember.
