loose

/luːs/

//luːs// verb

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"loose" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“loose” has 5 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #3,243. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#3,243
frequency rank, English
2,297
“L” headwords
5
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To let loose, to free from restraints.

Corpus desk

Index EN-loose · loose · English

loose · rank #3,243 · 5 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #3,243
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 5 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,297
  • PHOTO-FINISH locations

Nearest frequency peer: locations (-1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Frequency neighbourhood for “loose”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “loose” sits against the nearest ranked English headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

loose vs los
60% similar
loose vs love
60% similar
loose vs lost
60% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for loose
PropertyValue
Headwordloose
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/luːs/
Letters5
Frequency rank#3,243
Misspellings tracked5
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “loose” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). loose lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 5 spelling variants around loose (IPA /luːs/), averb. Corpus frequency is #3,243 among 2,297 “L” headwords. Wiktionary lists 7 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 5 likely wrong-spelling variants for loose, with forms such as "lloose", "looes", and "loosse". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "los", "love", "lost", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: Etymology tree Proto-Germanic *lausaz Old Norse laussbor. Middle English loos English loose From Middle English loos, los, lous, from Old Norse lauss, from Proto-Germanic *lausaz, whence also -less, leasing; from Proto-Indo-European *lewh₁- (“to untie, set … The correct English form is loose, spelled L-O-O-S-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To let loose, to free from restraints.
  2. 2
    To unfasten, to loosen.
  3. 3
    To make less tight, to loosen.
  4. 4
    Of a grip or hold, to let go.
  5. 5
    To shoot (an arrow).
  6. 6
    To set sail.
  7. 7
    To solve; to interpret.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how loose appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. Ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her; loose them, and bring them unto me.
  2. "Ay, and one was nigh to being slain by the hot-pot to be eaten of those brutes, thy children, and had not the others fought gallantly they too had been slain, and not even I could have called back the life which had been loosed from the body."

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Germanic *lausaz Old Norse laussbor. Middle English loos English loose From Middle English loos, los, lous, from Old Norse lauss, from Proto-Germanic *lausaz, whence also -less, leasing; from Proto-Indo-European *lewh₁- (“to untie, set free, separate”), whence also lyo-, -lysis, via Ancient Greek.

Synonyms

freereleaseloosenunbindundounfastenuntieloosenrelaxslackenlet goreleasefireshoot

Antonyms

bindconstrainbindfastentietightentightenfast

This word in other languages

soltar(Español)défaire(Français)lösen(Deutsch)soltar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • lloose
  • looes
  • loosse
  • losoe
  • olose

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of loose - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

lloose1looes2loosse1losoe2olose2
Edit distance from "loose"

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

PlainSpell is rendered directly from structured Wiktionary extracts and open word-frequency lists, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of September 3, 2026. Primary sources: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) and FrequencyWords.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "loose"?
"loose" is spelled L-O-O-S-E. The IPA pronunciation is /luːs/.
What does "loose" mean?
As a verb, "loose" means: To let loose, to free from restraints.
What words are commonly confused with "loose"?
"loose" is commonly confused with "los", "love", "lost". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "loose"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "loose" is /luːs/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "loose"?
Etymology tree Proto-Germanic *lausaz Old Norse laussbor. Middle English loos English loose From Middle English loos, los, lous, from Old Norse lauss, from Proto-Germanic *lausaz, whence also -less, leasing; from Proto-Indo-European *lewh₁- (“to u... See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "loose", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 5 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Jason#3,241men's#3,245moral#3,246hills#3,236

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (5 here; floor ≥5).

gear5 variantsacid5 variantsangel5 variantsduke5 variants

What to do next

You've looked up "loose". Here's where to go from here.

  • "loose" maps to 20 confusable pairs in this vintage; the highest-scored is "los". View pair
  • 5 edit-distance misspelling variants are generated for spell-check research on this headword. See variants
  • Usage frequency rank #3,243 among English headwords in this corpus. Corpus statistics
  • Browse more English words in the "L" letter cohort. L–Z browse
  • PlainSpell rotates a curated Word of the Day from the English corpus, a passive way to discover vocabulary. Word of the Day

PlainSpell is a reference corpus, not spelling advice. Verify unusual forms in context.

Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list