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Choose vs Chose

What is the difference between choose and chose?

Choose (/tʃuːz/, rhymes with shoes) is the present: I choose. Chose (/tʃəʊz/, rhymes with nose) is the past: yesterday I chose.

Choose vs Chose at a glance

  • choose

    /tʃuːz/ · verb

    To decide which thing or person you want from several options (present tense).

    • You can choose any seat you like.
    • It's hard to choose between these two phones.
    “choose” in the vocabulary guide
  • chose

    /tʃəʊz/ · verb (past tense of choose)

    Decided which thing or person you wanted (in the past).

    • She chose the blue dress in the end.
    • We chose this flat because it's close to the station.

How to remember it

Choose has double o and the long /uː/ sound of 'food' – it's for now. Chose has one o and rhymes with 'froze', another past tense.

Good to know

The forms are choose – chose – chosen. Choice (/tʃɔɪs/) is the noun.

Common mistakes

  • Wrong: Yesterday I choose a new laptop.

    Right: Yesterday I chose a new laptop.

  • Wrong: You have to chose one answer.

    Right: You have to choose one answer.

Quick quiz

  1. 1.Last year we to spend our holiday in Portugal.

  2. 2.Which course are you going to ?

  3. 3.He the cheapest option on the menu.

Pick the right word for each gap.

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