LosevsLosesWhat's the difference?

Which to use

“Lose” and “Loses” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.

#8,246
“Lose” frequency rank
#49,058
“Loses” frequency rank
57304
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Lose Loses
Definition Variante für den Dativ Singular des Substantivs Los Genitiv Singular des Substantivs Los

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set Lose and Loses apart are highlighted. They share 4 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

4 ch
Lose
5 ch
Loses

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. Lose ([ˈloːzə]) and Loses ([ˈloːzəs]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they differ by 1 extra letter(s) - “Lose” sits inside “Loses”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 57304, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Lose is recorded at frequency rank #8,246, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈloːzə]. Loses is at rank #49,058, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈloːzəs].

Glosses for this pair are partially populated in our dataset, but the full side-by-side definitions above should still guide you to the right choice.

With a confusion score of 57304, this pair ranks #906,478 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of Lose vs Loses

Shared letters: elos. Private to "Lose": -. Private to "Loses": -.

"Lose" · 4 letters · shape CVCV  ·  "Loses" · 5 letters · shape CVCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Losellose · loes · losse · lsoe · olse
  • Loseslloses · loess · losess · losses · lsoes · olses

Frequency comparison

Lose#8,246
Loses#49,058

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Lose" and "Loses" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈloːzə] versus [ˈloːzəs]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Lose" or "Loses"?
"Lose" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #8,246 in our German list, against #49,058 for "Loses". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering Lose vs Loses

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Read both glosses above and match the meaning you intend, only context separates this pair.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “Lose” entry
  • Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list