To pronounce "breakdown", say BREAKD-own — 2 syllables, IPA /ˈbɹeɪkdaʊn/. Tap play below to hear it in four English accents, or practice it syllable by syllable.
breakdown
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2
Syllables
9
Letters
/ˈbɹeɪkdaʊn/
IPA
"breakdown" has 2 syllables: breakd-own. It rhymes with frown and crown, if that helps it stick.
noun
“We saw a breakdown by the side of the road.”
“After so much stress, he suffered a breakdown and simply gave up.”
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.
"Breakdown" has 2 syllables: breakd · own.
The IPA transcription of "breakdown" is /ˈbɹeɪkdaʊn/.
Breakdown: A failure, particularly mechanical; something that has failed
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