Choose, Choice, or Chose?

The Difference between Choose, Choice, and Chose

"Choose," "choice," and "chose" are easy to confuse because their spellings are similar and English is so inconsistent with how vowels are pronounced.

• "Choose" (which rhymes with "blues") means to decide between two or more options. For example:
• Choose tea or coffee.
• "Chose" (which rhymes with "froze") is the past tense of "to choose." For example:
• I chose a different path to you.
• "Choice" (which rhymes with "voice") means an option, an alternative, or a possibility. It can also describe the act of choosing. For example:
• That was a fine choice, sir.

More about "Choose," "Chose," and "Choice"

Occasionally, there is confusion over the words "choose," "chose," and "choice" (especially among non-English speakers). Click below to hear how each word is pronounced:

Choose

The word "choose" is a verb that means "to select from a number of possibilities."

Example sentence with "choose":

• We choose our joys and sorrows long before we experience them.
• Feminism is the ability to choose what you want to do.

Chose

The word "chose" is the past tense of "to choose."

Example sentence with "chose":

• Americans chose a limited government that exists to protect our rights, not to grant them. (Politician Marco Rubio)
• I was told I wasn't good enough, but I chose not to listen. (Singer-songwriter Khalid)

The past participle of "to choose" is "chosen."

• If the career you have chosen has some unexpected inconvenience, console yourself by reflecting that no career is without them. (Actress Jane Fonda)

Choice

The word "choice" is a noun. A "choice" is the right, power, or opportunity to choose.

Example sentence with "choice":

• Happiness is a choice that requires effort sometimes.
• I demolish my bridges behind me so there is no choice but forward.