How to Pronounce Break

To pronounce "break", say BREAK — one syllable, IPA /bɹeɪk/. Tap play below to hear it in four English accents, or practice it syllable by syllable.

break

Tap to hear · American accent

Accent

If an accent sounds the same, your device is missing that voice — it falls back to the closest one.

Speed

Practice: Record & Compare

Record yourself saying break, then compare with the target. Your audio stays on this device — nothing is uploaded.

Syllable

Letters

/bɹeɪk/

IPA

"break" is a single-syllable word — say it in one clean beat. It rhymes with opaque and forsake, if that helps it stick.

Sounds exactly like: brake — easy to mix up when writing.

noun

An instance of breaking something into two or more pieces.
“The femur has a clean break and so should heal easily.”
A physical space that opens up in something or between two things.
“He waited minutes for a break in the traffic to cross the highway.”

verb

To separate into two or more pieces, to fracture or crack, by a process that cannot easily be reversed for reassembly.
“If the vase falls to the floor, it might break.”
To divide (something, often money) into smaller units.
“Can you break a hundred-dollar bill for me?”

Real example sentences from Tatoeba (CC-BY) — tap to hear each one, or see it used on YouGlish.

Practicing rhymes trains the same ending sounds.

How many syllables are in "break"?▾

"Break" has one syllable.

What is the IPA transcription of "break"?▾

The IPA transcription of "break" is /bɹeɪk/.

What does "break" mean?▾

Break: An instance of breaking something into two or more pieces.

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