Lose and Loose

Read and spell 'lose' (to misplace or not win) and 'loose' (not tight).

'Lose' and 'loose' look almost the same, but they sound and mean different things. 'Lose' has one o and rhymes with 'shoes'. It means to misplace something or to not win: 'Don't lose your key' or 'We might lose the game. ' 'Loose' has two o's and rhymes with 'goose'. It means not tight or free: 'My tooth is loose' or 'The dog got loose. ' A memory trick: 'loose' is loose enough to fit an extra o.

Read carefully: 'If your shoelace is loose, you could trip and lose the race. ' The loose lace is not tied tightly; losing the race means not winning. One letter changes the whole picture.

• 1lose (one o, rhymes with shoes) = misplace or not win.
• 2loose (two o's, rhymes with goose) = not tight.
• 3One letter changes both sound and meaning.