Lose is a verb about not having something anymore, failing to keep it, or not winning. Loose is usually an adjective meaning not tight, not firmly attached, or free to move. They are not interchangeable: lose describes an action or result, while loose describes a state or quality.

Use lose when something is missing, removed, or no longer in your possession: you lose your keys, lose money, or lose your job. It also means to not win a competition: a team can lose a game. Lose can also mean to reduce something, especially weight or time, focusing on the result rather than the process.

Word/Phrase	Definition	Example
lose	not have something anymore or fail to keep it	I always lose my headphones.
lose	not win a contest or game	They might lose today.
lose	have less of something such as money, time, or weight	We lost a lot of time in traffic.

Use loose to describe something that is not tight or is not securely fixed in place: a loose shirt, a loose screw, or a loose connection. It can also mean free to move around, not contained, or not under control, depending on context. In everyday writing, loose describes how something fits or how firmly it is attached.

Word/Phrase	Definition	Example
loose	not tight or not fitting closely	These pants are loose.
loose	not firmly attached or fastened	The handle is loose.
loose	free to move and not contained	There is a loose dog in the yard.

Lose is a verb, so it often follows a subject and changes form for tense: lose, loses, lost, losing. Loose is usually an adjective and comes before a noun or after a linking verb like be: a loose bolt, the bolt is loose. Keeping the grammar role in mind prevents most mix-ups.

Rule	Example
Use lose as a verb for actions and outcomes	I do not want to lose my place.
Use loose as an adjective for condition or fit	My shoelaces are loose.
After be, seem, feel, stay, loose describes the subject	The lid feels loose.

The words look similar but sound different. Lose has a voiced z sound at the end, and loose has an unvoiced s sound plus a longer s sound feeling. Listening for the final sound helps you choose the correct spelling when writing.

Rule	Description	Notation	Example
Final sound	Lose ends with voiced z	/luːz/	You might lose your chance.
Final sound	Loose ends with unvoiced s	/luːs/	The knot is loose.
Voice test	Put a hand on your throat: voiced sounds vibrate	z vibrates, s does not	lose has z, loose has s

Certain nouns frequently pair with lose, and others commonly pair with loose. Learning these natural combinations makes your writing sound fluent and reduces spelling errors. When you see these nouns, you can often predict the correct word automatically.

Word/Phrase	Definition	Example
lose weight	become lighter or reduce body weight	She wants to lose weight safely.
lose time	waste or have less time available	We lost time because of delays.
lose control	stop controlling a situation or yourself	He lost control of the car.
loose change	coins not kept together or not in a wallet section	I have some loose change.
loose clothing	clothing that does not fit tightly	Wear loose clothing in hot weather.
loose connection	connection that is not secure and may fail	The screen flickers because of a loose connection.

Loose can also be a verb meaning to release, to set free, or to let something go, but this use is formal or literary. In modern everyday English, people usually choose release, let go, or set free instead. If you see loose used as a verb, it will take objects and tense forms like loosed.

Rule	Example
Loose can mean release or set free in formal style	They loosed the dogs at dawn.
In everyday English, prefer release or let go for clarity	Please release the cable.

Use a simple decision: if you mean not win or not keep, choose lose. If you mean not tight or free to move, choose loose. This quick test works for most writing situations, including emails and school assignments.

Rule	Example
If you can replace it with misplace or fail to win, use lose	Do not lose your ticket.
If you can replace it with not tight, use loose	The cap is loose.
If you can replace it with release, loose may be possible but is formal	The guard loosed the prisoners.

A helpful spelling cue is that lose has one o and the sound ends like z, while loose has two o letters and feels longer and more open. Another cue is that loose relates to loosen, which also has two o letters. These cues are not rules, but they can speed up correct spelling choices.

Rule	Example
Loose connects to loosen and keeps two o letters	Tighten the loose bolt to loosen it later.
Lose is shorter with one o and ends with z sound	I do not want to lose this.