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If you hear someone use the words brake or break, you really need to understand the context of what they’re saying because there is no audible difference between these two words. Brake and break are homophones, so they sound alike but have different meanings.
In this post, I will explain what each word means and provide examples to help you remember the difference.
Table of Contents
Brake Meaning
The word brake is a noun and a verb.
As a noun, brake refers to the device in a vehicle that’s used for slowing down or stopping.
As a verb, it refers to the act of making a vehicle slow down or stop by applying pressure to the wheels.
One common expression using brake is “to hit the brakes.”
Examples of Brake in a Sentence
- Ken slammed on the brakes to avoid hitting the cat that ran out in front of his car.
- Having no brakes on your bike makes for an exciting downhill journey.
- He hit the brakes on their relationship with no warning.
Break Meaning
The word break can also be used as a noun and a verb.
As a noun, break means an interruption, i.e., a gap in time before you start doing something again.
As a transitive verb, break has lots of meanings. The most common meaning is to shatter or smash something into pieces by applying force. It can also mean to violate (i.e., to break the law) or to interrupt (i.e., break the silence). As an intransitive verb, break doesn’t need to take an object; for example, when the weather breaks, we’ll go for a walk.
Examples of Break in a Sentence
- If you keep throwing your toys on the ground like that, you’re going to break them!
- She decided to break up with him when she saw him picking his nose.
- It broke her heart, but she couldn’t live with a nose picker.
Common Expressions Using Break
There are a lot of common expressions in the English language that use the word break. The following are some of the most popular:
- Break a leg
- Break the ice
- Heartbreaker
- Break free
- Break up with someone
- Take a break
- Break someone’s heart
- Break bread
- Break even
- To make or break a situation
- Break cover
- Break ground
- Break into something
- Break wind
- Break a promise
- Breaking and entering
More Grammar Posts
Brake vs. Break Quiz Questions
Choose the correct word to complete each sentence. The answers are at the bottom of this blog post.
- The kid brakes/breaks his mother’s iPhone at least once a month.
- You can damage your car’s brakes/breaks by continually braking/breaking too late.
- He was known as a heartbraker/heartbreaker, but he finally wanted to settle down.
- Revenge, while sweet, is not a good reason to brake/break the law.
- She thought teaching her son to drive would be easy, but she held her breath every time he braked/breaked.
Final Thoughts on the Difference between Break and Brake
There you have it: another homophone explained. To help you remember the difference, remember that brake usually refers to the act of stopping a vehicle or the device used to stop a moving vehicle. Break usually refers to an interruption or the act of making something stop working.
Brake vs. Break Quiz Answers
- The kid breaks his mother’s iPhone at least once a month.
- You can damage your car’s brakes by continually braking too late.
- He was known as a heartbreaker, but he finally wanted to settle down.
- Revenge, while sweet, is not a good reason to break the law.
- She thought teaching her son to drive would be easy, but she held her breath every time he braked.
