Choose vs Chose

The main difference between choose and chose is that choose refers to the actions in the present, and chose relates to the actions in the past. 

Choose vs Chose

Choose	vs	Chose
To select something or pick according to preference	Meaning	A decision that has already been made
Choose is pronounced as (cho͞oz) or (t͡ʃuːz). Plus, it rhymes with shoes and blues.	Pronunciation	Chose is pronounced as (chōz) or (tʃəʊz). Plus, it rhymes with toes and goes.
Refers to the choice that has not yet been made.	Choice	Refers to a choice that has already been made.
Present and the future	Time	Past
Present tense of the verb choose	Irregular Verb Choice	Past tense of the irregular verb choose

What Does Choose Mean? 

The word choose originates from the old English word – ‘ ceosan.’ Choose means to select something or pick according to preference. It’s also used to refer to deciding a course of action. 

Choose can be used when someone likes something freely without interruption or influence. 

Choose is a simple present tense form of the verb used as both a transitive and  intransitive verb. It’s an irregular verb, which means it doesn’t follow the pattern of adding -ed at the end in the past tense. 

Choose becomes a simple future tense by adding auxiliary verbs like a will or should.

Examples of Choose 

• Ryan has proven time and time again that he will choose money over happiness. 
• I was asked to choose between pizza and a burger. 
• Do you know the best team to choose from in football?
• There are too many options in dresses to choose from.
• Please choose a nail polish for me.

What Does Chose Mean? 

The word chose is a past tense of choose and refers to a decision already made. When a choice is made in the past, the word chose is used to describe that act. Its meaning is similar to choose.

Some of the synonyms for chose include: opted, decided, and selected.

Examples of Chose 

• I chose between traveling to Dubai and going home.
• Andrew chose the blue suit over the red one.
• The teacher only chose the problematic exercises at the back of our textbook.
• I made a huge mistake, “I chose questions 5,7, and 2 over 1,8 and 4″.
• He chose his clothes poorly because he was in a rush. 

When to Use Choose or Chose

Ultimately, both choose and chose have similar meanings, but have different pronunciations and spellings. 

While choose is a simple verb form used to indicate the action of selecting something in the present tense, chose is past tense and is used to explain a decision that happened in the past. 

Remember the Difference

To remember the difference between choose and chose, remember that the shorter word, i.e., single ‘O’ refers to what has already happened in the past. The selection is over and done with, so it won’t take up any more of your time. 

The longer version, i.e., double ‘O’, is going on now or in the future, so you’ll need to spend more time on it. That’s why the word is longer.

If you’ve found this article helpful, check out our post on the difference between love and in love.