How to Pronounce Lose

To pronounce "lose", say LOS-e — 2 syllables, IPA /luːz/. Tap play below to hear it in four English accents, or practice it syllable by syllable.

lose

Tap to hear · American accent

Accent

If an accent sounds the same, your device is missing that voice — it falls back to the closest one.

Speed

Syllable by syllable — tap each one

Practice: Record & Compare

Record yourself saying lose, then compare with the target. Your audio stays on this device — nothing is uploaded.

2

Syllables

4

Letters

/luːz/

IPA

💡 Tip for remembering “lose”

"lose" has 2 syllables: los-e. It rhymes with peruse and abuse, if that helps it stick.

Sounds exactly like: loos, luiz, luse — easy to mix up when writing.

What does lose mean?

verb

  1. To cause (something) to cease to be in one's possession or capability due to unfortunate or unknown circumstances, events or reasons.

    “He lost his hearing in the explosion.”

  2. To wander from; to miss, so as not to be able to find; to go astray from.

    “I lost my way in the forest.”

Synonyms

leave behindmislayforfeitdropshedditchdump

Antonyms

findacquirecome acrossdiscovergain

Hear “lose” in real sentences

Real example sentences from Tatoeba (CC-BY) — tap to hear each one, or see it used on YouGlish.

Words that rhyme with lose

Practicing rhymes trains the same ending sounds.

peruseabuserefuseinfusediffusefuseexcuseoozemisuseboozeamusenews

Related words

missrecedemisplacemislaylossruinastray

Frequently asked questions

How many syllables are in "lose"?▾

"Lose" has 2 syllables: los · e.

What is the IPA transcription of "lose"?▾

The IPA transcription of "lose" is /luːz/.

What does "lose" mean?▾

Lose: To cause (something) to cease to be in one's possession or capability due to unfortunate or unknown circumstances, events or reasons.

Want the definition, translations into 8 languages, and read-aloud for full sentences?

Open “lose” in the full dictionary →