Which to use
“lose” is a verb and “lowe” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #879
- “lose” frequency rank
- #13,751
- “lowe” frequency rank
- 14630
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | lose | lowe |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | To cease to have (something) in one's possession or capability. | Alternative form of low ("flame"). |
Letter map: lose vs lowe
Shared letters muted; letters that set lose and lowe apart highlighted. Shared run: 3.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
Our dataset has no pronunciation recorded for both members, so the reliable separator here is grammatical: lose is averb and loweanoun. On the page they differ by a single letter - s in “lose” becomes w in “lowe”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 14630, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
lose is recorded at frequency rank #879, classified as averb, pronounced /luːz/. lowe is at rank #13,751, tagged as anoun.
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 14630, this pair ranks #468,872 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of lose vs lowe
Shared letters: elo. Private to "lose": s. Private to "lowe": w.
"lose" · 4 letters · shape CVCV · "lowe" · 4 letters · shape CVCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "lose" and "lowe" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "lose" or "lowe"?
What to do next
You've compared "lose" and "lowe". Here's where to go from here.
- Full dictionary entry for "lose" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "lowe" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #468,872 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "lose" and "lowe" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "lope vs lowe". Nearby pair
- Recorded mistypes exist for at least one side of this pair, useful when a spell-checker or OCR lands on the wrong form. See mistypes
PlainSpell is a reference corpus, not spelling advice. Verify unusual forms in context.