Loose vs Lose
Loose means not tight or free from constraint; whereas, To lose is to suffer a loss, to be deprived of, to part with, or to fail to keep possession of.
Explanation
Loose is mainly an adjective used to describe things that are not tightly fitted. It also has a noun sense mainly confined to the idiom ‘on the loose’, which means at large. When you need a verb meaning to partially release or to relax, loosen is usually the best choice.
“These trousers are too loose.”
“The pet dog was let loose on the streets by its owner.”
Lose is only a verb. To lose means:
1) To fail to keep
“Please do not lose my book.”
“The family lost their eldest son in the war.”
2) To fail to win
“Raj lost the court case against Shyam.”
“India lost the cricket match against Australia.”
3) To fail to make money
“I will lose a fortune.”
Tricks to remember the difference between these two:
i) Think that ‘Loose has lost an “O” and has become Lose’.
ii) Pronunciation of the two is different. ‘Lose’ has a ‘Z’ sound at the end; ‘Loose’ has a ‘S’ sound at the end.
iii) Remember the spellings with a mnemonic, such as "If my shoes are too loose, I will lose the race."
Click Here to read about Eminent Vs Imminent. Click Here to read about Alter vs Altar.
This article has been shared by Priti Saraf. Though a CA by profession, teaching is her passion. She suggests this joyful way of building English Grammar and wherein one cam simultaneously learn their practical use as well.
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