How to pronounce brake
Say it like BRAYK. Brake is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress.
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce brake. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- BRAYK
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Brake pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- BRAYKSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ay" in day.
American vs British pronunciation of brake
American and British speakers say brake in essentially the same way: /breɪk/ in the US and /breɪk/ in the UK.
British respelling: BRAYK.
What does brake mean?
- a restraint used to slow or stop a vehicle
- any of various ferns of the genus Pteris having pinnately compound leaves and including several popular houseplants
- large coarse fern often several feet high; essentially weed ferns; cosmopolitan
- stop travelling by applying a brake“We had to brake suddenly when a chicken crossed the road”
- cause to stop by applying the brakes“brake the car before you go into a curve”
Where does brake come from?
Origin uncertain; possibly from Middle Dutch or Middle Low German brake (“nose ring, curb, flax brake”), which according to Watkins is related to sense 4 and from Proto-Germanic *brekaną (“to break”).
Words that rhyme with brake
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of brake.
Words that sound like brake
Questions about saying brake
How do you pronounce brake?
Say BRAYK. The American pronunciation is /breɪk/. In British English it is /breɪk/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in brake?
Brake is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: BRAYK.
Do Americans and Brits say brake the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /breɪk/ and the British form is /breɪk/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.
What words sound the same as brake?
Brake sounds the same as break in American English. The spelling and meaning are what tell them apart.