# loose vs loosen

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### loose
*verb · IPA /luːs/ · frequency rank #3,243*
To let loose, to free from restraints.

### loosen
*verb · IPA /ˈluːsn̩/ · frequency rank #17,891*
To make loose.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/vs/loose-vs-loosen