- 2-minute read
- 15th September 2023
Loose or Lose? | Spelling Tips
The question of whether to use loose or lose is common because we often confuse these words. But although they are spelled almost identically, they have very different meanings. In this post, we’ll show you whether to use loose or lose in your writing and demonstrate examples of each. Keep reading to learn more!
When to Use Loose
Loose is an adjective meaning “not tight or not firmly fixed in place.”Synonyms of loose include baggy, slack, and relaxed; antonyms include secure, restricted, and fastened. Here are some examples of loose in a sentence:
The screws on that chair are too loose.
Tighten the straps on your backpack so they don’t come loose on your hike.
You can also use loose to describe something that is not strict or rigid:
In some cases, loose can function as a verb meaning “to release something or set it free.” For example:
However, the above usage is very rare. Synonyms, such as released, are much more common in this context.
When to Use Lose
Lose is a verb with several meanings. It can mean “to be deprived of or no longer have something”:
If I’m tired, I lose my motivation to study.
I always lose cell phone service on this road.
Lose can also mean “to misplace”:
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The airline might lose my luggage again.
In a competitive context, lose is the opposite of win and means “to be defeated,” such as in a game or an election:
The candidate was worried that they might lose the upcoming election if they didn’t campaign hard enough.
Spelling Tips for Loose and Lose
Lose is always a verb and is spelled with just one o. Loose is spelled with two o’s and is almost always an adjective (it’s a verb when it means “to release”). Be sure to pay close attention to the context of the sentence to decide which word to use:
Try this trick to remember whether to use loose or lose: if loose gets loose and loses an o, then it becomes lose!
In summary, lose (one o) relates to no longer having something, misplacing something, or experiencing a defeat, and loose (two o’s) describes something not tightly secured or (rarely) indicates the act of releasing something or setting it free.
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