Abstract— The effect of void shape on the mechanical behaviour of an elastic‐plastic solid containing an isotropic array of aligned axisymmetric voids is examined. The mechanical response of such a material is studied by means of finite element (FE) analyses of an elementary unit cell containing an isolated void. The void shape is found to have a strong influence on both void growth rate and coalescence strain. This effect is strongest for low stress triaxialities. The numerical results are compared with analytical models of void growth, but none of the examined models give any good predictions of the results obtained numerically. A simple modification of the classical Gurson model is suggested so as to give reasonable correspondence with numerical results. Finally, some practical considerations of void shape effects are given.