Lose vs. loose: why 'looses' is rarely correct

The short answer

Lose and loose are pronounced differently and mean different things, which is why mixing them up stands out so clearly in writing. Lose is a verb meaning to misplace something, to fail to win, or to no longer have something, as in do not lose your keys. Loose is usually an adjective meaning not tight or not firmly fixed, as in a loose button on a shirt. The misspelling looses, formed by adding an s to loose, is almost never what a writer actually means.

What each word means

Lose rhymes with choose and shares its single o sound. It is an irregular verb: lose, lost, has lost. You lose a game, lose your temper, or lose track of time. Loose rhymes with goose and keeps a double o sound. It most often describes something not tight, such as loose clothing, a loose screw, or a dog let loose in a yard, though it can also work as a verb meaning to release or set free.

The word looses does exist as the third-person singular form of the verb loose, meaning releases, as in the hunter looses an arrow. In modern everyday writing, though, this use is rare and can sound old-fashioned. Almost every time someone types looses, they actually mean loses, the correct third-person form of lose.

Lose vs. loose in example sentences

If the team loses the next match, they are out of the tournament. Not: If the team looses the next match, they are out of the tournament. The strap on her bag is loose and needs tightening. He always loses his umbrella on rainy days. Not: He always looses his umbrella on rainy days, since nothing is being released here, only misplaced.

• Lose: verb meaning to misplace or fail to win
• Loose: adjective meaning not tight or not fixed
• Looses: rare verb form meaning releases; not the plural of lose

A simple spelling test

Count the o's and check the ending. Lose has one o and drops the e before adding endings like losing. Loose has two o's and stays loose in every form: loose, loosely, loosen. If you mean misplace or fail to win, you want the word with one o and an s sound like z. If you mean not tight, you want the word with two o's and a soft s sound. This small habit of counting letters before you type takes only a second, but it catches the mistake before a reader ever notices it.

Remember it

Link lose to its missing letter: lose has lost an extra o compared with loose, just as losing something means it is gone. Loose keeps both o's, like two hands holding something that is not gripped tightly. Whenever you are tempted to write looses, pause and ask whether you mean releases; if not, the word you need is loses.