Hi Cinzia, it's not a case of British versus American English, both words exist but have different meanings. 'Loose' is an adjective and means the opposite of tight. 'Lose' is a verb, meaning the opposite of win (among other definitions). Hope this helps!

Just one thing to add to the other answers. Don't forget that the pronunciation is different. One has an 's' sound at the end and the other has a /z/: loose (adjective) meaning 'sciolto' is pronounced /lu:s/ lose (verb) meaning 'perdere' is pronounced /lu:z/

Hi Cinzia, Both words of course are available in the dictionary, but they bear different meanings which are used similarly in both American and British English. Simply put : To lose would be to be unable to catch up with something, to stop being the owner, or to have a reduction (of something). Loose on the other hand could also be used as a verb which would mean to make free or less tight. You might want to check the context in which the word was supposed to be used so you can decide the right one to choose. A typographical error could have led to the wrong usage in the book. Regards.

In British English "loose" is defined as "not firmly or tightly fixed in place; detached or able to be detached." and I agree with it. "lose" is defined as "be deprived of or cease to have or retain (something)." which I also agree with. Does anyone from any other English Speaking country have anything to add as it will also interest me to find if there are differences in definition.