vendor or vender

Vendor or Vender? Which is Correct?

Vocabulary / By

Vendor and vender are so often confused for both being the same word. This isn’t the case, as one is correct and the other is not a proper word in today’s English language. One version was used a long time ago, while the other is used today.

Vendor is considered the proper way to spell the word. Vender is just an outdated version that is not used any longer. When you are trying to make sure you are spelling the word properly, it is important to remember that the -er spelling is incorrect.

Vendor

The word vendor is used to describe a person or business that sells something. For example, people who are selling things at a Farmer’s Market are considered a vendor. A company that sells a product, such as a soda pop company, is also considered a vendor.

Examples
The price will depend on which vendor you end up choosing.

I’m going to stop by that street vendor and buy a hotdog.

The vendor called to tell me that they are going to be late setting up.

See if you can find an online vendor that sells the same product for a lower price.

Vender

Vender is just a common misspelling of the word vendor. It was used way back in the 1500’s and 1600’s, but it’s not used at all anymore. When you look up the definition for the word vender, it just directs you to vendor because that is the correct spelling!

You might be tempted to use this spelling because similar words end with -er instead of -or. For example: retailer, seller, supplier, etc. This is why most people get confused with the spelling, it is opposite of every other word like it.

Remembering Which to Use

When you are writing, both vender and vendor are likely to show up as correct in your document, so how are you supposed to remember which one you’re actually supposed to use?

To help yourself remember to use vendor instead of vender, think of the second E in vender as end. This will help you remember that the -er version of the word has ended its time in the English language.

Summary

It can be really hard to remember whether you need to use vendor or vender. In today’s English language, the proper spelling of the word is vendor, and vender is no longer used. This means you should only use the vendor spelling.

Conor
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