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TOEIC Link Part 5: loath versus loathe

Loath is an adjective meaning reluctant or unwilling. Loathe is a verb meaning to hate or detest. The two words differ by one letter and one sound, and Part 5 tests the reluctant sense of loath against the strong-dislike sense of loathe.

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TOEIC Link Part 5: loath versus loathe

Loath and loathe differ by a single letter, but they are different parts of speech with different meanings, and Part 5 uses that gap to set traps. Loath is an adjective meaning reluctant or unwilling. Loathe is a verb meaning to hate or detest. Because business passages describe both reluctance to act and strong dislike, the test can put either word in play. For another pair of confusable adjectives about unwillingness, see adverse versus averse, and for a meaning-based pair often mixed up, see disinterested versus uninterested.

The core rule: reluctant versus hate

  • loath (adjective) = reluctant, unwilling: The manager was loath to cut the project's budget.
  • loathe (verb) = to hate, detest: Many customers loathe hidden fees.

A memory hook: loathe has an e and an action — it is a verb, like hate or detest. Loath (no e) is a state of being reluctant, used with to be: I am loath to agree. The e also changes the sound — loath ends in a soft "th" (rhymes with both), while loathe ends in a voiced "th" (rhymes with clothe).

How to read the slot

Structure points straight to the answer.

  • loath follows a form of be and precedes to + a verb: was loath to admit, am loath to spend. It describes a subject's reluctance. If the slot sits between be and to do something, choose loath.
  • loathe acts as the main verb and takes a direct object or a gerund: they loathe paperwork, she loathes waiting. If the slot is the action of hating something, choose loathe.

So the fastest test: is the subject reluctant to do something (loath) or does the subject hate something (loathe)?

Common Part 5 traps

  • "be + (blank) + to + verb" is loath. The frame be loath to do is the adjective: the board was loath to approve the merger.
  • "(subject) + (blank) + noun/gerund" is loathe. A direct object or -ing form after the slot signals the verb: employees loathe long commutes.
  • Watch the final e. Adding an e turns reluctance (loath) into hatred (loathe). The two are not interchangeable even though they look nearly identical.
  • Do not use loath as a verb. You cannot loath something; you either loathe it (verb) or are loath to do it (adjective).

Quick check

Decide whether the slot means reluctant (loath) or hate (loathe), then choose.

  1. The committee was (blank) to delay the launch any further.
  2. Frequent travelers (blank) airport security lines.
  3. She is (blank) to admit that the first plan was a mistake.
  4. He (blank) the sound of his own recorded voice.

Answers: 1. loath 2. loathe 3. loath 4. loathes

Why this matters on Part 5

Part 5 rewards readers who fix the part of speech before scanning options. Loath and loathe form a clean trap: the test counts on you matching the familiar look of the word without checking whether the slot needs an adjective of reluctance or a verb of hatred. Decide the structure first — be loath to do versus loathe something — and the extra e stops misleading you. For more pairs where the part of speech settles the answer, review advice versus advise.