If you are wondering whether the correct spelling is “persuing” or “pursuing,” the answer is simple: “pursuing” is correct.
“Persuing” is a common spelling mistake. It usually appears because the pronunciation of “pursue” can make the word difficult to spell, especially for English learners.
The confusion becomes even more common when people search for terms such as “persuing or pursuing meaning,” “persuing or pursuing which is correct,” “how to spell pursuing,” or “is it persuing or pursuing?”
This guide explains the correct spelling, the meaning of pursue and pursuing, the difference between pursuing and pursing, how to use these words in sentences, and several easy ways to remember the spelling.
Persuing or Pursuing: Which Is Correct?
The correct spelling is:
Pursuing
The spelling “persuing” is incorrect in standard English.
Here is the basic distinction:
| Word | Correct? | Meaning |
| pursuing | Yes | Following, chasing, working toward, or continuing something |
| persuing | No | Common spelling error |
| pursing | Yes, but different word | Tightening or drawing together, especially the lips |
| pursued | Yes | Past tense and past participle of pursue |
| pursues | Yes | Third-person singular form of pursue |
So, if you want to say that someone is working toward a degree, career, goal, or ambition, use “pursuing.”
Example:
“I am pursuing a degree in computer science.”
Not:
“I am persuing a degree in computer science.”
What Does Pursuing Mean?
“Pursuing” is the -ing form of the verb “pursue.”
The word can have several meanings depending on the context. In general, to pursue something means to follow it, try to achieve it, or continue working toward it.
For example:
- She is pursuing a career in medicine.
- He is pursuing his dream of becoming a writer.
- The police are pursuing the suspect.
- We are pursuing several possible solutions.
- They are pursuing a business opportunity.
The meaning changes slightly with context, but the central idea is usually movement toward something, either literally or figuratively.
Pursuing Meaning in Simple English
In very simple terms, “pursuing” can mean:
- following someone or something
- chasing someone or something
- trying to achieve a goal
- working toward an objective
- continuing an activity or course of action
- trying to obtain something
For example, “She is pursuing her education” means she is continuing her education or working toward an educational goal.
What Does Pursue Mean?
“Pursue” is the base form of the verb.
The basic pursue definition is:
“To follow, seek, or work toward someone or something.”
The exact meaning depends on how the word is used.
1. To Follow or Chase
When “pursue” describes physical movement, it can mean to follow or chase someone or something.
Example:
“The police pursued the suspect.”
Here, “pursued” means the police followed or chased the suspect.
2. To Work Toward a Goal
“Pursue” can also describe an ambition, plan, or goal.
Example:
“Maria wants to pursue a career in engineering.”
This means Maria wants to work toward a career in engineering.
3. To Seek Something
The word can also mean to try to obtain or achieve something.
Example:
“The company is pursuing new customers.”
The company is actively trying to gain new customers.
4. To Continue an Activity
“Pursue” may also mean to continue with a particular course of action.
Example:
“The researchers decided to pursue the investigation.”
This means they decided to continue the investigation.
Pursuing Definition
The definition of pursuing is closely connected to the meaning of pursue.
“Pursuing” can mean actively following, seeking, chasing, achieving, or continuing something.
Consider these examples:
“John is pursuing a master’s degree.”
Here, pursuing means working toward obtaining a degree.
“The officer is pursuing the vehicle.”
Here, pursuing means following or chasing the vehicle.
“She is pursuing her passion for photography.”
Here, pursuing means actively developing or following her interest.
“The company is pursuing a different strategy.”
Here, pursuing means following or adopting a particular course of action.
Pursue, Pursues, Pursued, and Pursuing
One reason learners search for “pursue spelling,” “pursued spelling,” and “how do you spell pursuing” is that the verb changes form.
Understanding these forms makes the spelling much easier.
| Form | Word | Example |
| Base form | pursue | I want to pursue my goal. |
| Third-person singular | pursues | She pursues excellence. |
| Past tense | pursued | He pursued his dream. |
| Past participle | pursued | They have pursued several options. |
| -ing form | pursuing | We are pursuing a new opportunity. |
Pursue
Use “pursue” after words such as “to,” “will,” “can,” “should,” and “want to.”
Example:
“I want to pursue a career in teaching.”
Pursues
“Pursues” is used with a singular third-person subject in the present tense.
Example:
“She pursues her goals with determination.”
Pursued
“Pursued” is the past tense and past participle form.
Example:
“He pursued his education abroad.”
Pursuing
“Pursuing” is used as the present participle and gerund form.
Example:
“They are pursuing new opportunities.”
How Do You Spell Pursue?
The correct spelling is:
P-U-R-S-U-E
The word ends in “sue,” not “sew,” “suee,” or another variation.
A useful way to remember it is:
PUR + SUE = PURSUE
Once you know “pursue,” the spelling of “pursuing” becomes easier.
How Do You Spell Pursuing?
The correct spelling is:
P-U-R-S-U-I-N-G
It is formed from “pursue” by changing the final “e” before adding “-ing”:
pursue → pursuing
This is why the spelling is not “pursueing.”
Incorrect:
“pursueing”
Correct:
“pursuing”
The final “e” in “pursue” is dropped before the “-ing” ending.
Why Is “Persuing” Incorrect?
“Persuing” is not the standard spelling of the word.
The mistake is understandable because English spelling does not always match pronunciation. When people hear “pursuing,” they may remember the first sound as “per” rather than “pur.”
That can lead to forms such as:
- persuing
- persue
- persueing
- persued
- presuing
- pursueing
- prusue
- prusing
These forms may appear in searches or informal writing, but they should not be used when you mean “pursue” or “pursuing.”
The Correct Word Family
The standard forms are:
- pursue
- pursues
- pursued
- pursuing
For example:
- I want to pursue my interests.
- She pursues her goals.
- He pursued a different career.
- They are pursuing new opportunities.
Persue or Pursue: Which Is Correct?
“Pursue” is correct.
“Persue” is a spelling mistake.
Correct:
“She plans to pursue higher education.”
Incorrect:
“She plans to persue higher education.”
If you are searching for “persue meaning,” you are most likely looking for the meaning of “pursue.”
Persueing or Pursuing: Which Is Correct?
“Pursuing” is correct.
“Persueing” is incorrect.
There are actually two spelling problems in “persueing”: the first part should be “pur,” and the word does not retain the final “e” when “-ing” is added.
Correct:
“pursuing”
Incorrect:
“persueing”
Incorrect:
“pursueing”
Pursuing vs Pursing
This is an important distinction because “pursing” is a real English word.
“Pursuing” comes from “pursue.”
“Pursing” comes from “purse.”
They have different meanings.
Pursuing
“Pursuing” means following, chasing, seeking, or working toward something.
Example:
“She is pursuing a degree in biology.”
Pursing
“Pursing” can mean drawing or tightening the lips.
Example:
“He was pursing his lips while thinking.”
It can also relate to making or shaping something like a purse, depending on the context.
So these two sentences mean completely different things:
“She is pursuing her goals.”
“He is pursing his lips.”
If you mean “working toward a goal,” use “pursuing.”
Pursuing vs Pursued
These words come from the same verb, but they have different grammatical uses.
“Pursuing” usually describes an action that is happening or continuing.
Example:
“She is pursuing a career in law.”
“Pursued” normally describes an action that happened in the past or has been completed in a particular context.
Example:
“She pursued a career in law after graduation.”
Compare:
- He is pursuing a new opportunity.
- He pursued a new opportunity last year.
The first sentence describes an ongoing action. The second refers to a past action.
What Does It Mean to Pursue Someone?
The phrase “pursue someone” can have a literal or figurative meaning.
Literal Meaning
It can mean to follow or chase someone.
Example:
“The officers pursued the suspect.”
Relationship Meaning
In relationships, “to pursue someone” often means to actively try to develop a romantic relationship with that person.
Also Read: Persuing or Pursuing: Which Is Correct? Meaning, Spelling, and Examples
For example:
“After meeting her, he decided to pursue a relationship with her.”
In this context, pursuing someone may involve showing interest, communicating with them, asking them out, or trying to build a relationship.
However, pursuing someone does not mean ignoring their boundaries. Healthy relationships require mutual interest, respect, and consent.
Pursue Meaning in a Relationship
When “pursue” is used in a romantic context, it usually means making a clear effort to develop a relationship with someone.
For example:
“David is pursuing a relationship with Emma.”
This suggests that David is actively trying to build a romantic connection with Emma.
Other possible examples include:
- She decided to pursue a relationship with him.
- He is pursuing someone he genuinely likes.
- They are both interested in pursuing a serious relationship.
The word itself does not guarantee that the other person feels the same way. It simply describes the effort or intention of one person.
Pursue in a Sentence
Here are several natural examples of “pursue” in different contexts.
Education
“I plan to pursue a master’s degree after college.”
Career
“She wants to pursue a career in software development.”
Personal Goals
“He decided to pursue his dream of opening a restaurant.”
Business
“The company plans to pursue new markets.”
Investigation
“Investigators will pursue every reasonable lead.”
Personal Interests
“After retirement, she began to pursue her interest in painting.”
Relationships
“He decided to pursue a serious relationship with her.”
These examples show why the word “pursue” is useful in both everyday and formal English.
Sentences With Pursuing
The -ing form is useful when an action is currently happening or is being treated as an ongoing activity.
Examples include:
- I am pursuing a degree in business.
- She is pursuing her long-term goals.
- They are pursuing several possible solutions.
- He is pursuing a career in finance.
- The team is pursuing a new strategy.
- The police are pursuing the vehicle.
- We are pursuing every available option.
- She is pursuing her passion for music.
Notice that the meaning depends on the noun or object that follows “pursuing.”
Pursuing in Education
One of the most common uses of “pursuing” is in education.
You may see phrases such as:
- pursuing a degree
- pursuing higher education
- pursuing a master’s degree
- pursuing a bachelor’s degree
- pursuing a PhD
- pursuing further studies
- pursuing academic goals
Examples:
“I am currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in psychology.”
“She is pursuing a master’s degree in business administration.”
“He plans to pursue higher education after completing high school.”
On a résumé or professional profile, “pursuing” can be a natural way to describe a degree that is currently in progress.
Pursuing in Career and Professional Writing
“Pursuing” is also common in workplace communication.
Examples include:
- pursuing a career
- pursuing professional development
- pursuing new opportunities
- pursuing business growth
- pursuing a promotion
- pursuing a new position
- pursuing long-term objectives
For example:
“She is pursuing a career in cybersecurity.”
“The company is pursuing opportunities in international markets.”
“We are pursuing a long-term partnership.”
These uses are appropriate in professional writing when the context calls for a formal but natural verb.
Pursuing Goals and Dreams
The word is especially common when talking about personal ambitions.
For example:
“Everyone has the right to pursue their goals.”
“He spent years pursuing his dream of becoming a filmmaker.”
“She is pursuing a more balanced lifestyle.”
In these sentences, “pursuing” suggests active effort rather than simply having a wish.
There is an important difference between saying:
“I have a goal.”
and:
“I am pursuing a goal.”
The first tells us what you want. The second suggests that you are taking action toward it.
Pursue Synonyms and Other Words for Pursuing
The best synonym depends on the context.
Synonyms for Pursue
Possible alternatives include:
- follow
- chase
- seek
- aim for
- work toward
- strive for
- go after
- target
- continue
- undertake
However, these words are not interchangeable in every sentence.
For example, “chase” works well for physical pursuit:
“The dog chased the ball.”
But it may sound less natural in formal writing:
“The company is chasing international opportunities.”
“Pursuing international opportunities” is more professional.
Another Word for Pursuing
Depending on context, “pursuing” can be replaced with:
- seeking
- following
- chasing
- working toward
- striving for
- aiming for
- working on
- continuing
Example:
“She is pursuing a career in medicine.”
Possible alternatives:
“She is working toward a career in medicine.”
“She is seeking a career in medicine.”
The best choice depends on exactly what you want to express.
Pursuing Synonyms: Which One Should You Use?
Here is a simple guide:
| If you mean… | You could use… |
| Following someone | following |
| Chasing someone | chasing |
| Trying to obtain something | seeking |
| Working toward a goal | working toward |
| Making a strong effort | striving for |
| Trying to achieve something | aiming for |
| Continuing an activity | continuing |
“Pursuing” is often useful because it can cover several of these meanings while still sounding natural in formal English.
Is “Pursuing” Formal or Informal?
“Pursuing” can be used in both formal and everyday English.
It is common in:
- conversations
- emails
- academic writing
- résumés
- cover letters
- business reports
- news writing
- professional profiles
For example:
“I am pursuing a degree in economics.”
This is perfectly natural in professional writing.
In casual conversation, however, a simpler word may sometimes sound more natural.
Instead of:
“I am pursuing the completion of this task.”
A clearer sentence would usually be:
“I am working to finish this task.”
Good writing is not about using the most formal word possible. It is about choosing the clearest word for the situation.
British English vs American English
There is no standard spelling difference between American and British English for “pursue,” “pursued,” or “pursuing.”
Both varieties use:
- pursue
- pursues
- pursued
- pursuing
For example:
American English:
“She is pursuing a degree in history.”
British English:
“She is pursuing a degree in history.”
The spelling remains the same.
Is “Persuing” Ever Correct?
No. If you intend the standard English word related to “pursue,” “persuing” is not the correct spelling.
It may appear online because people make spelling mistakes, but its appearance in search results, social media, or user-generated content does not make it a standard English word.
When writing an essay, résumé, email, application, article, or professional document, use “pursuing.”
Common Spelling Mistakes Related to Pursue
Because “pursue” has an unusual spelling, several incorrect forms are common.
| Incorrect form | Correct form |
| persue | pursue |
| persuing | pursuing |
| persueing | pursuing |
| pursueing | pursuing |
| persued | pursued |
| prusue | pursue |
| presue | pursue |
| pursure | pursue |
The safest approach is to remember the standard word family:
pursue → pursues → pursued → pursuing
A Simple Trick to Remember “Pursuing”
One easy memory method is to learn the base word first:
PUR + SUE = PURSUE
Then remember what happens when “-ing” is added:
PURSUE → PURSUING
The final “e” disappears before “-ing.”
You can also connect the word to a familiar phrase:
“pursue a goal”
“pursue a dream”
“pursue a career”
“pursue an opportunity”
Seeing the correct spelling repeatedly in meaningful phrases makes it easier to remember.
How to Use Pursuing Correctly
Before using “pursuing,” ask yourself what you mean.
If you mean “working toward a goal,” “pursuing” is often appropriate.
Example:
“She is pursuing her ambition to become a doctor.”
If you mean “following or chasing,” it may also work.
Example:
“The police are pursuing the suspect.”
If you mean “tightening the lips,” however, the word is “pursing,” not “pursuing.”
Example:
“She was pursing her lips.”
This small distinction prevents a common spelling and meaning error.
Quick Grammar Guide
“Pursue” is a verb.
Here are its main forms:
Present: pursue
“I pursue my interests.”
Third-person present: pursues
“She pursues her goals.”
Past: pursued
“He pursued his dream.”
Past participle: pursued
“They have pursued several options.”
Present participle / gerund: pursuing
“She is pursuing a new career.”
Understanding these forms can help you avoid errors such as “persued” and “pursueing.”
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it persuing or pursuing?
“Pursuing” is the correct spelling. “Persuing” is a common spelling mistake.
What is the meaning of pursuing?
“Pursuing” means following, chasing, seeking, working toward, or continuing something, depending on the context.
Is it persuing or pursuing which is correct?
The correct form is “pursuing.”
How do you spell pursuing?
It is spelled:
P-U-R-S-U-I-N-G
How do you spell pursue?
It is spelled:
P-U-R-S-U-E
What does pursue mean?
“Pursue” means to follow, chase, seek, or work toward something.
What does pursued mean?
“Pursued” is the past tense and past participle of “pursue.” It can mean followed, chased, sought, or worked toward something.
Example:
“She pursued her goal for many years.”
What is the difference between pursue and pursuing?
“Pursue” is the base form of the verb, while “pursuing” is the -ing form.
Examples:
“I want to pursue a career in teaching.”
“I am pursuing a career in teaching.”
What is the difference between pursuing and pursing?
“Pursuing” comes from “pursue” and means following, seeking, or working toward something.
“Pursing” comes from “purse” and can mean tightening or drawing together the lips.
Is persue a word?
No. “Persue” is an incorrect spelling of “pursue.”
Is persueing correct?
No. The standard spelling is “pursuing,” not “persueing.”
Is pursueing correct?
No. The correct form is “pursuing.” When “-ing” is added to “pursue,” the final “e” is removed.
What does it mean to pursue someone?
It can mean to follow or chase someone. In a romantic context, it can mean actively trying to develop a relationship with someone.
What is the pursue meaning in a relationship?
In a relationship context, “pursue” generally means making an effort to develop a romantic connection with someone.
What is another word for pursue?
Depending on the context, alternatives include “follow,” “chase,” “seek,” “strive for,” “aim for,” and “work toward.”
What are the synonyms for pursuing?
Depending on the sentence, synonyms for “pursuing” include “seeking,” “following,” “chasing,” “working toward,” “striving for,” and “aiming for.”
Can I use pursuing in a résumé?
Yes. “Pursuing” is commonly used in résumés and professional profiles to describe an education, career path, qualification, or professional goal that is currently in progress.
Example:
“Pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science.”
Is pursuing used in American and British English?
Yes. “Pursuing” has the same standard spelling in both American and British English.
What is the easiest way to remember the spelling of pursuing?
Remember the base word:
PURSUE
Then add “-ing” after dropping the final “e”:
PURSUE → PURSUING
Final Answer: Persuing or Pursuing?
If you are deciding between “persuing” and “pursuing,” choose “pursuing.”
The correct word family is:
- pursue
- pursues
- pursued
- pursuing
“Persuing,” “persue,” “persueing,” and “persued” are common spelling mistakes and should be avoided in standard English.
The word “pursue” can mean to follow, chase, seek, or work toward something. Therefore, “pursuing” can describe everything from pursuing a degree or career to pursuing a goal, opportunity, investigation, or relationship.
The most important spelling to remember is:
P-U-R-S-U-I-N-G — pursuing
If you are writing a résumé, school assignment, email, application, or professional document, use “pursuing,” not “persuing.”