How to pronounce break
Say it like BRAYK. Break 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 break. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- BRAYK
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Break 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 break
American and British speakers say break in essentially the same way: /breɪk/ in the US and /breɪk/ in the UK.
British respelling: BRAYK.
What does break mean?
- terminate“She interrupted her pregnancy”“break a lucky streak”
- become separated into pieces or fragments“The figurine broke”“The freshly baked loaf fell apart”
- render inoperable or ineffective“You broke the alarm clock when you took it apart!”
- some abrupt occurrence that interrupts an ongoing activity“the telephone is an annoying interruption”“there was a break in the action when a player was hurt”
- an unexpected piece of good luck“he finally got his big break”
- (geology) a crack in the earth's crust resulting from the displacement of one side with respect to the other“they built it right over a geological fault”“he studied the faulting of the earth's crust”
Where does break come from?
The modern pronunciation shows an irregular change of Early Modern English /ɛː/ to /eɪ/ in the standard language; contrast this with the development of other words such as speak and wreak.
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Opposite meaning
Words that rhyme with break
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of break.
Words that sound like break
Questions about saying break
How do you pronounce break?
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 break?
Break is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: BRAYK.
Do Americans and Brits say break 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 break?
Break sounds the same as brake in American English. The spelling and meaning are what tell them apart.