Lose is a verb meaning to stop having something or to be beaten in a game; loose is an adjective meaning not tight or not firmly fixed. People mostly mix them up in writing. Both have a long oo sound, but lose ends with a z sound, like choose, while loose ends with an s sound, like goose.
lose or loose — can you pick the right one?
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lose + noun (lost, lost); lose weight; lose a game/match; loose + clothes/screw/tooth; come loose
- I always lose my keys when I'm in a hurry in the morning.
- Our team lost the final, but everyone was proud of how we played.
- These jeans are too loose now, so I need to wear a belt.
What changed
First versionI don't want to loose my job because of one mistake.
RevisionI don't want to lose my job because of one mistake.
You need a verb here, to stop having your job, and that is lose, with one o. Loose is an adjective, so it cannot follow want to. Spell checkers often miss this mistake because both words exist.
The past form of lose is lost: I lost my wallet on the bus. Loose has the fixed phrase come loose, meaning to become less tight or firm: A button came loose. Clothes that are not tight are loose clothes, not free clothes: free would mean that they cost nothing.
Your turn
Check the screws on the shelf: if one is ___, everything might fall down.
Show the answer
loose — After is you need a word that describes the screw: it is not held tightly. That is the adjective loose. Lose is a verb meaning to stop having something, so one is lose is impossible.
Describe a time you lost something on a trip. Say where it happened and use loose to explain why.
I lost one of my earrings on the beach in Sochi because the back had come loose.
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