The adjective loose means "not tight." The verb lose means "not to win" or "not to keep."
Examples:
Because your belt is loose, you will probably lose your pants.
Corrections:
"In a brief item, Beckham marked, page 6, June 30, we said that a photographic portrait of David Beckham on view at the Royal Academy of Arts in London had been inscribed with 'You losers.' In fact, it was inscribed, 'You loosers.'"
(Corrections and Clarifications, The Guardian, July 2, 2004)
Usage Notes:
"To Get It Right: Remember the phrase, loose laces, and whenever you need to decide whether to write loose or lose, let the pronunciation of loose in the phrase guide you. (The eyelets in the shoes suggest the double o of loose.) 'Loose laces lose races' is a terrific mnemonic sentence."
(Edgar H. Schuster, Breaking the Rules: Liberating Writers Through Innovative Grammar Instruction, Heinemann, 2003)
Practice:
(a) The button on my sleeve is _____.
(b) If I _____ that button, I'm in trouble.
