Choose vs Chose vs Choosing: The Tiny Rule to Remember

If you’ve ever hesitated over chosing or choosing, welcome to my small corner of the spelling trenches. I’ve been doing this for more than ten years—editing, proofreading, fixing typos, muttering at screens. In my experience, English spelling rules feel like they were written by a committee that never met. And yet, I care. I really do. I like neat sentences, clean grammar, and zero confusion. Also, yes, I notice when someone writes “chosing” in a résumé. My eye twitches. Not proud of it. Just honest. So let’s talk simple, practical stuff—spelling, common misspellings, grammar basics, and a few LSI-friendly bits like “proofreading,” “English spelling rules,” “typos,” and “editing habits.” I’ll keep it easy, like we’re chatting over coffee. Or tea. I don’t judge beverages. Only spelling.

Why This Word Trips People (It’s Not You, It’s English)

Choosing looks easy. Until it isn’t. I’ve always found that the problem isn’t the word itself; it’s the family around it. Choose, chose, choosing. They look related. They are related. But they also play weird little games with the “oo” sound. That’s where people slip.

Here’s the tiny map:

• Choose = now. “I choose pizza today.”
• Chose = yesterday. “I chose pizza yesterday.”
• Choosing = action. “I’m choosing pizza again.”

See the pattern? Two o’s for now and for -ing. One o for the past. English loves to do this with vowel sounds. We say “choose” with a long “oo” sound. But “chose” has a long “o” like “nose.” You can hear the shift. If your ears help you more than rules, lean on that.

The Core Rule (A Tiny One You Can Actually Keep)

I tell students and clients the same thing: double “o” for present and for adding -ing, single “o” for past. That’s it. One line. If you only keep one rule today—make it this rule.

In my head it goes like this: choose → choosing (carry the two o’s). Choose → chose (drop one o for the past). Yes, it’s simple. Yes, it works.

Memory Hooks I Actually Use

• I “choose” to keep two o’s. I “chose” to lose one. Choose = two o’s. Chose = one o.
• Choosing is “choo-choo” like a train. Trains are long. Long word. Two o’s. Done.
• Past is shorter. Past moves away. “Chose” looks shorter too.

How We Mess It Up (Totally Normal, by the Way)

Autocorrect is a gremlin. It helps until it doesn’t. I’ve watched autocorrect change a perfect sentence into a public typo in front of 80,000 followers. Fun times. Also, our eyes scan in chunks. If the first and last letters look right, our brain sometimes lets the middle slide. That’s why “chosing” can hide in plain sight. It feels “close enough.”

I’ve proofread things from law firms, tech teams, and one very serious bakery. People mess this up everywhere. No one is immune. Not even editors on too little sleep. (Hi. It me.)

Common Misspellings That Travel With It

When I see “chosing,” I usually see a few friends nearby:

• Lose vs. loose (please don’t ask me about “loosing weight” again)
• Then vs. than
• Affect vs. effect
• Advice vs. advise
• License vs. licence (US vs. UK fun)
• Apologize vs. apologise (more US vs. UK)
• Practice vs. practise (UK noun vs. verb drama)

If this list makes you tired, same. I keep notes. I make tiny flashcards. I don’t remember everything. I remember enough. That’s the job.

Short Table You Can Screenshot

Here’s a quick table I share with interns. Super simple. Works.

What I’ve Learned After A Decade With Red Pens

People don’t need lectures. They need small fixes. I’ve edited huge policy papers and long blog posts with thousands of eyes on them. And I still tell folks the same thing: speak your sentence out loud. “I choose today.” Sounds current. So it’s choose. “I chose yesterday.” That’s the past. So it’s chose. “I’m choosing now.” That -ing tells you the answer.

One time, a startup founder sent me a pitch with “We are chosing the best path” in the first line. First line. Investors saw it. I saw it. The founder didn’t. Why? Because he read what he meant, not what he wrote. That’s all of us. That’s why I print things. Old-school. Paper still wins when I’m tired.

My Private Checklist (Which Isn’t Actually Secret)

• Read it out loud. Slowly.
• Change the tense. If it flips, I check the spelling again.
• Highlight every “choose/chose/choosing” in a doc. One color for each.
• Run spell check, but don’t trust it like a map that never updates.
• Ask a friend or colleague to skim. Fresh eyes save your day.

Tools I Use Without Shame

Spell check is fine. I also keep a dictionary tab open. Two, actually. When I’m stuck or when a client argues (this happens), I send them links. If you like definitions and sound clips that say the word out loud, try Merriam-Webster. For grammar tips and quick examples, I still point people to the classic Purdue OWL guide. Keep both. One for meaning, one for rules. Done.

Style Guide Note (Because Someone Will Ask)

AP Stylebook, Chicago Manual of Style, Oxford style—none of them argue about choose/chose/choosing. They all agree. So if you’re fighting with a colleague about this, it’s not a style issue. It’s just a spelling issue. Which is the easiest kind of argument to win. Facts help.

US vs. UK: Not The Problem Here

In my experience, people blame British vs. American English for everything. Not here. Choose, chose, choosing are the same on both sides of the ocean. Yes, we wrestle with “apologize/apologise” and “color/colour,” but not this one. If you see “chosing,” it’s not a British thing. It’s a typo.

Words That Actually Change With Region

• Color (US) vs. colour (UK)
• Analyze (US) vs. analyse (UK)
• License (US noun/verb) vs. licence (UK noun) / license (UK verb)
• Traveler (US) vs. traveller (UK)

Notice how none of these help with choosing. They just live there and make life spicy.

Little Habits That Fix Big Problems

What I think is this: it’s not about being perfect. It’s about being predictable. You build small habits that save you from silly errors. Here are mine.

• Slow down on verbs. Verbs betray you first.
• Do one tense pass. Read the whole thing as if it’s happening now. Then read as if it already happened. You’ll catch the “choose/chose” swap fast.
• Use search. Hit Ctrl/Cmd + F for “choo” and “ch” patterns. Weird, but it helps.
• Keep a “pet errors” list. Mine has “loose/lose,” “its/it’s,” and yes, “chosing.”
• Read the last sentence first on your final pass. It forces your brain to stop skimming.

Real-Life Example: Social Post That Went Sideways

A brand I worked with posted, “We’re chosing winners now.” Comments were brutal. People love pointing out typos. Honestly, too much. But the fix was simple: “We’re choosing winners now.” One letter. That’s it. Reach didn’t drop. Sales didn’t tank. But the brand looked sharper. Typos are small, until they sit in the first line. Then they grow fangs.

Labels, Health Posts, and Why I Read Twice

Sometimes I end up reading health and food posts to check claims. If you’re the cautious type, you might enjoy this piece I liked on unpacking honey packs. Different topic, I know, but it’s a good reminder: words—and how we choose them—really matter when people make quick decisions.

Practice Pack (Mini Drills That Don’t Hurt)

I’m not giving homework. Just five fast drills you can finish in a minute each.

1. Say it out loud: “Today I choose, yesterday I chose, this week I am choosing.” Do that twice. Muscle memory is real.
2. Write three sentences with choose. Then rewrite them in the past. Then add -ing. Don’t think, just write.
3. Swap words: If you can say “I am ______ing,” it’s probably the -ing form. Check the spelling. That’s choosing, not chosing.
4. Read a paragraph you wrote last week. Circle every verb. Fix what looks off. You’ll find at least one small thing. That win will feel good.
5. Text a friend the rule. If you can teach it, you know it.

Editor Jokes That Only Half the Room Laughs At

I’ve sat in meetings where three adults debated a comma for fifteen minutes, and then someone typed “chosing” in the slide deck title. That’s editing life. We care about commas, sure, but the basic verbs? They get you. Also, “Track Changes” turns nice people into gladiators. If you know, you know.

The Red Pen Myth

People think editors live for red ink. Nah. I live for that moment when a sentence finally stops trying to trip me. No drama. Just a clean line that says what it means.

Extra: Sound Tricks For Your Brain

If you think in sounds more than letters, try this:

• Choose = long “oo,” like “zoo.” Two o’s match the long sound.
• Chose = long “o,” like “nose.” One o.
• Choosing = “choo-” plus “-zing.” Feels like it needs the double “o.”

When I’m moving fast, I literally whisper the word. Do I sound weird at my desk? Yes. Do I avoid typos? Also yes.

Let’s Do A Tiny Test

Fill the blank. Keep it simple. Say it out loud if you need to.

• Yesterday, I ____ tea over coffee.
• Every day, I ____ to walk instead of drive.
• Right now, I’m ____ a new book to read.

Answers: chose, choose, choosing. If you got them, you’ve got the rhythm.

Secondary Stuff That Still Helps

Okay, small side notes that make you stronger everywhere:

• Keep “lose/loose” straight. It appears in the same sentences as choosing more than you think.
• Watch your “-ing” endings. Drop the silent “e” before adding -ing when needed. Like use → using.
• Know your audience. If you’re writing for US readers, stick to US spellings elsewhere. Consistency keeps your brain from tripping.
• Set your device language to match your goal. Your spell checker will stop fighting you.

When Auto Tools Fail (And They Will)

Sometimes your app flags nothing, but the sentence still feels wrong. Trust that feeling. Read it backward. Or change the font for 30 seconds. Your brain wakes up when the text looks new. Silly trick. Works anyway.

What About The Phrase That Won’t Leave My Inbox?

I’ve had emails with the subject line “Help with chosing or choosing.” People want a final answer they can pin. Here you go, one more time. The right spelling in actual use is “choosing” for the -ing form, “choose” for present, “chose” for past. The version with a single “o” plus -ing is never correct. Not once. Not in US English. Not in UK English. That one’s just a persistent typo.

Cheat Sheet (Print If You Like Paper)

Quick Rules

• Two o’s for present and -ing: choose, choosing.
• One o for past: chose.
• If you can say “am/are ___ing,” it’s choosing.
• If you can say “yesterday I ___,” it’s chose.

Quick Fix Steps (60 Seconds)

• Search your doc for “chos” and “choo.”
• Check tense around each hit.
• Fix and move on. Do not overthink it. Life’s too short.

A Few More Examples (Because Why Not)

• We choose honesty over hype. (Present)
• We chose honesty last year, too. (Past)
• We are choosing honesty again this quarter. (Present continuous)

If you want a nicer template, try swapping the verb out with “eat/eating/ate.” If the sentence would be “We ate last night,” then the “chose” version fits. That little swap tests your tense without drama.

Common Questions I Get In DMs (With Honest Answers)

• Is there any case where “chosing” is right? No. It’s a misspelling of “choosing,” full stop.
• Why does “chose” lose an “o” in the past? Because English. Also, sound changes. Present has a long “oo,” past shifts to a long “o.”
• Can I rely on autocorrect? It catches a lot. It also destroys a lot. Keep your brain turned on.
• Does UK vs. US spelling matter here? Not for this word. It’s the same on both sides.
• What if I keep forgetting? Print the rule and tape it to your screen. I’m not joking. I’ve done it.

Bonus: Why Simple Wins

I’ve watched teams spend hours debating tone and voice, then forget to fix a tiny verb. Readers forgive a lot. But they notice careless mistakes. What I think is: be simple. Be clear. Fix the verbs first. If you can keep “choose/chose/choosing” straight, your writing already looks sharper. That’s not a vibe thing. It’s visible.

One More Nerd Note (You Can Skip This)

Some verbs play the same game. Like “lose/losing” (drop the extra “o”), and “use/using” (drop the silent “e”). Patterns help. You don’t need to memorize everything. You need to recognize what your eyes like to miss and set traps for it.

FAQs

• When I type fast, I always write “chosing.” Any hack? Say the sentence out loud. If it’s “-ing” now, it’s “choo-” with two o’s. Slow down for one beat and fix it.
• My teacher says “read it backward.” Does that really work? Weirdly, yes. Your brain stops guessing and actually sees the letters.
• Is “chose” ever used for something happening now? Nope. “Chose” is past. If it’s now, it’s “choose” or “choosing.”
• Do I need a dictionary for this? Not always, but keeping one open helps. I bounce between Merriam-Webster and Purdue OWL when I’m unsure.
• Why do people online make a big deal about tiny typos? Because it’s easy points. Don’t feed the trolls. Fix the word and keep writing.

Anyway. That’s a lot of words about one small family of words. I’ll stop before I start telling you about my spreadsheet of pet typos. Don’t worry, I’m not proud of that either. I’m just… choosing to be honest about it.

Lucas

Hey, I’m Lucas. My blog explores the patterns and connects the dots between tech, business, and gaming. If you’re a curious mind who loves to see how different worlds intersect, you’re in the right place.