Writing Helper: Lose vs. Loose
This is part of the series:
- Grammar Helper
- Grammar Helper: Ensure, Assure, Insure
- Grammar Helper: There, Their, They're
- Grammar Helper: Appraise vs. Apprise
- Grammar Helper: Idea vs. Ideal
- Grammar Helper: Commas in a series
- Grammar Helper: Who and Whom (simple version)
- Grammar Helper: I vs. Me
- Writing Help: Who's vs. Whose
- Writing Helper: Just Thinking to Myself
- Writing Helper: Poor and Pour, Then and Than
- Grammar Helper: Its vs It's
- Writing Helper: Breath vs. Breathe, Bath vs. Bathe
- Cite, sight and site
- Writing Helper: Stationary vs. Stationery
- Writing Helper: Lose vs. Loose
- Avoiding the Passive Voice
- Possessive vs. Plural: Getting it Right
- Writing Helper: A lot
- Writing Helper: Bath vs Bathe
- Writing Helper: Choose vs Chose
- Writing Helper: Idea vs. Ideal
I have to confess, this is one that drives me nuts. I hate to see it misused, and I see it all the time, unfortunately. Hardly a day goes by when I don’t see this one on someone’s blog, and often on big-name blogs that are drawing lots of readers. Some may argue that it doesn’t matter, but I’d disagree, but of course, you knew that already.
First off, lose ends in a “z” sound. Loose ends in an “s” sound.
Loose means to be not tight. Lose is to misplace something or to not win.
Examples.
- I don’t want to lose my investment.
- I would have entered, but I was afraid I’d lose.
- I can’t keep these shoes on because they’re too loose.
| 2.5 |
August 20th, 2007 at 10:13 am
YES!! That always annoys the hell out of me, and I want to comment, but don’t want to be the snarky commenter that says “you need a grammar lesson, stat!” Another biggie is their/there/they’re. If I see one more person write on their blog that “they went to there house”, I may scream.
Thank you. I’m glad to know I’m not the only one out here cringing.