How to pronounce breakfast
Say it like BREK-fust. Breakfast has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (BREK).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce breakfast. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- BREK
- fust
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Breakfast pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- BREKSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "e" in bed.
- fustKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
American vs British pronunciation of breakfast
American and British speakers say breakfast in essentially the same way: /ˈbrɛkfəst/ in the US and /ˈbrɛkfəst/ in the UK.
British respelling: BREK-fust.
What does breakfast mean?
- the first meal of the day (usually in the morning)
- eat an early morning meal“We breakfast at seven”
- provide breakfast for
Where does breakfast come from?
From Middle English brekefast, brekefaste, equivalent to break + fast (literally, "to end the nightly fast"), likely a variant of Old English fæstenbryċe, (literally, "fast-breach").
Questions about saying breakfast
How do you pronounce breakfast?
Say BREK-fust. The American pronunciation is /ˈbrɛkfəst/. In British English it is /ˈbrɛkfəst/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in breakfast?
Breakfast has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (BREK). Broken into parts: BREK · fust.
Do Americans and Brits say breakfast the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˈbrɛkfəst/ and the British form is /ˈbrɛkfəst/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.