# lose vs loose

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### lose
*verb · IPA /luːz/ · frequency rank #879*
To cease to have (something) in one's possession or capability.

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

## How to tell them apart
“Lose” (one o) is the verb — to lose a game, to lose your keys. “Loose” (two o’s) is the adjective meaning not tight. The extra o makes it looser.

## Memory trick
LOOSE is so loose it has room for two O’s; LOSE lost one.

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