# Spelling Question **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 24, 2003, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spelling-question/220833 "2003-12-24T13:25:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![smootman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4af34b/32.png) [@smootman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smootman)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2003, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spelling-question/220833/1 "2003-12-24T13:25:30Z")
“They are losing this game”… why do most smart people i know spelling it this way… “They are loosing this game.” ? ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2003, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spelling-question/220833/2 "2003-12-24T13:30:45Z")
Since this is not a comment on a Staff Report, I have moved it to the General Questions forum. ---
**Author:** ![Number](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/number/32/242_2.png) [@Number](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Number)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2003, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spelling-question/220833/3 "2003-12-24T13:45:45Z")
Many people are careless and rely on spellcheckers as a substitute for proofreading. “Loosing” doesn’t show up as an error since it is a word, albeit the wrong one for the context. ---
**Author:** ![hyjyljyj](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/0ea827/32.png) [@hyjyljyj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hyjyljyj)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2003, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spelling-question/220833/4 "2003-12-24T14:09:51Z")
I would guess that it 's because of the irregular pronunciation of lose. Unlike rose, prose, nose, pose, those, hose, chose and close, lose is not pronounced with the long O. Instead, it rhymes with whose. This can rattle people’s brains loose and make them lose their minds. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2003, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spelling-question/220833/5 "2003-12-24T18:40:02Z")
From the context in which I see this error, I have to disagree with the OP: No _smart_ person spells it this way. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![robcaro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df705f/32.png) [@robcaro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robcaro)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2003, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spelling-question/220833/6 "2003-12-24T20:14:52Z")
Smart people do not depend wholly on spell checkers. They read what they have written before spell checking and sending. ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2003, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spelling-question/220833/7 "2003-12-24T21:07:02Z")
Some people don’t even know there’s a difference. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2003, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spelling-question/220833/8 "2003-12-24T21:50:28Z")
No, I think the OP is saying that most “smart” people spell it “loosing.” So I have to ask, “Smart in relation to whom?” ---
**Author:** ![NotSuitableforChildren](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ac8455/32.png) [@NotSuitableforChildren](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NotSuitableforChildren)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2003, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spelling-question/220833/9 "2003-12-24T22:06:12Z")
Smart in Kentucky maybe, I’ve never seen a smart person spell it “loose”, only idiots who can’t spell, which unfortunately encompasses a good 98% of America. ---
**Author:** ![x-ray\_vision](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/x-ray_vision/32/351_2.png) [@x-ray\_vision](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/x-ray_vision)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2003, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spelling-question/220833/10 "2003-12-25T04:59:46Z")
So, 98% of Americans are idiots who can’t spell? BTW, that’s one well put together sentence there **NotSuitable**. ---
**Author:** ![The\_PHB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/df788c/32.png) [@The\_PHB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_PHB)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2004, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spelling-question/220833/11 "2004-01-06T13:05:11Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originally posted by_ **x-ray vision** > So, 98% of Americans are idiots who can’t spell? And your point is…?