Choose, Chose, Lose and Loose: Pronunciation

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Hibiscus Teach · Pronunciation lesson 1

Choose, Chose, Lose and Loose: Pronunciation

Four familiar words, two useful contrasts. Hear which vowel changes and when the final sound should buzz.

A1–A2 foundations5-minute lessonAudio + speaking practice

Created by , British English teacher.

Listen and repeat

Listen once for the contrast. Play it again and pause to repeat the words and sentences.

Read the recording transcript

Pronunciation lesson one: choose, chose, lose, and loose. Listen first. Choose. Chose. Lose. Loose. Choose and lose rhyme. Both have the long oo sound and finish with a voiced z sound: choose, lose. Chose is the past of choose. Its vowel sounds like the o in nose: chose. Loose has the same long oo vowel as lose, but it ends with a quiet s sound: loose. Feel the contrast: lose, loose. Choose, chose. A common mistake is to pronounce lose like loose. Keep the final sound buzzing in lose: zzz, lose. Now repeat after me. Choose. Chose. Lose. Loose. I choose the blue shoes. Yesterday, I chose the red ones. Be careful not to lose your keys. This shirt is too loose. One more time. Choose. Chose. Lose. Loose.

1. Meet the four sounds

Tap a play button to hear one word. Tap again to stop.

choose

/tʃuːz/

Meaning: select something.

Rhymes with shoes. Long /uː/ vowel; buzzing /z/ ending.

chose

/tʃoʊz/

Meaning: selected in the past.

Rhymes with nose. The vowel glides; the ending is still /z/.

lose

/luːz/

Meaning: no longer have or fail to win.

Rhymes with choose. Long /uː/ vowel; buzzing /z/ ending.

loose

/luːs/

Meaning: not tight or firmly fixed.

Rhymes with goose. Long /uː/ vowel; hissing /s/ ending.

The recording uses American English. In standard British English, chose is commonly written /tʃəʊz/. The same contrasts apply.

2. Notice what changes

choose → chose

Change the vowel, not the last consonant. Both words end in /z/.

lose → loose

Keep the same vowel sound, but change the ending: /z/ buzzes; /s/ is a hiss.

Try it: Rest two fingers lightly on your throat. Alternate a long /z/ and /s/. You should feel more vibration for /z/. Then say lose, loose.

Common mistake: The spelling does not tell you whether the ending is /s/ or /z/. Lose has one letter o, but it still uses the long /uː/ vowel.

3. Say it in a sentence

Pause the recording after each sentence. Repeat once slowly, then at a natural speed.

  1. I choose the blue shoes.
  2. Yesterday, I chose the red ones.
  3. Be careful not to lose your keys.
  4. This shirt is too loose.

4. Quick self-check

Choose the word, say the sentence aloud, then reveal the answer.

  1. Yesterday, I ___ the blue one. (choose / chose)
    Reveal answer

    chose, /tʃoʊz/: a past choice; rhymes with nose.

  2. Do not ___ your ticket. (lose / loose)
    Reveal answer

    lose, /luːz/: finish with the buzzing /z/ sound.

  3. These trousers are too ___. (lose / loose)
    Reveal answer

    loose, /luːs/: not tight; finish with a hissing /s/.

  4. Which pair rhymes: choose and lose, or choose and chose?
    Reveal answer

    Choose and lose rhyme. Choose and chose have different vowels.