Choose - chose - chosen - choice

Be careful about the differences between choose (present tense), chose (past tense), chosen (past participle) and choice (noun). They are sometimes confused - and such confusion is not always corrected by the spellchecker.

• choose (the present of the verb) is pronounced with a long '-oo-' sound to its vowel, IPA: /tʃuːz/.

• The past tense chose has a vowel like 'oh', IPA: /tʃəʊz/, rhyming with 'shows' and 'goes'.

• The past participle chosen is like the past tense, with an '-n' added: IPA: /tʃəʊz ən/

• The noun choice has a different sound altogether, with a vowel that rhymes with the one in 'voice' and a last letter that is more of an 's' than a 'z': IPA: /tʃɔɪs/.

See also choose (irregular verb

Choice is one of the 117 mis-spellings listed as 'Common difficulties' in the section on 'Spelling' within 'Writing' in UEfAP.