Brake vs break: do you know the difference?
BRAKE vs BREAK: which is which? Tips and tricks to remember the difference
BRAKE and BREAK are easy to confuse – especially if you’re new to the English language. The fact that the two words sound the same – they’re homophones – means people commonly mix them up.
Here are my simple spelling tips to remember the difference between BRAKE and BREAK.
When to use BREAK
BREAK can be both a noun and a verb.
As a noun, BREAK means time out.
“It’s time for your lunch BREAK”
“Let’s take a BREAK”
As a verb, BREAK means damage or destroy.
“I dropped my phone but luckily it didn’t BREAK.”
When to use BRAKE
BRAKE can be both a noun and a verb.
As a noun, a BRAKE is the stopping pedal in a car or other vehicle.
As a verb, BRAKE means to slow down or stop – for example, a car.
Noun: “Remember to use the BRAKE to stop the car in good time.”
Verb: “I had to BRAKE hard to avoid the oncoming cyclist.”
Get more tips in The Little Book of Confusables
No more confusing words!
The Little Book of Confusables is jam-packed with simple, memorable, fun spelling tips for 600 commonly confused words – from ACCEPT + EXCEPT to YOUNG + YOUTHFUL.