Barbecue versus Barbeque

What is the Difference Between Barbecue and Barbeque?

When to Use Barbecue

Barbecue can be a noun or a verb.

As a noun, barbecue means a particular method of cooking, whereby one suspends meat over burning coals on a wooden framework.

The word can also refer to a gathering around food cooked this way. Barbecue is derived from the Spanish barbacoa, a word for the wooden structure itself.

As a verb, barbecue means to cook according to this method.

When to Use Barbeque

Barbeque is a variant of the same word. It is not used as frequently as barbecue. Other variations include bar-b-cue, bar-b-que, and BBQ.

Summary

Is it barbecue or barbeque? Barbecue, barbeque, bar-b-cue, bar-b-que, and BBQ are all Anglicized variants of the Spanish word barbacoa. As nouns and verbs, they refer to a process of slow-cooking pork or other meats.

Barbecue is the standard spelling in English.

Barbecue occurs at a rate many times that of its variants.