Commonly Confused Words: brake/break
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fandom_grammarWelcome, grammar fans, to another installment of Commonly Confused Words. Today we are looking at brake and break. These two words not only sound exactly alike, they are both also used as a noun or a verb, and can even overlap somewhat in meaning. So, how do you know which to use when? Let's take a look, with a little help from our friends from Hawaii Five-0.
We'll take brake first, as it is simpler. As a noun, a brake is almost always used to refer to a mechanism that is used to slow or stop a vehicle, such as a car, truck, sled, wheelchair, etc. (See brake at dictionary.com for rarer uses.) As a verb, to brake is to apply a braking mechanism to slow or stop movement.
When we look at break, there are scores and scores of definitions. In fact, see break at dictionary.com to get a full list. These definitions, verb or noun, mostly boil down to something being disassembled into pieces, separated, and/or not working or no longer in effect. The noun form, especially, is also used for pauses or discontinuity, such as a coffee break or a break in the action.
So, how do you distinguish between something that is slowed down or stopped by breaking versus braking? The easy part is that when you are talking about intentionally stopping a vehicle, you always use brake. If your car stops because it breaks, the next step is calling a tow truck.
In the less literal uses, either word might be used to indicate stopping something ongoing, either temporarily or permanently. In these cases, there are specific phrases associated with each. Just as if there were an actual, physical pedal, you put on the brakes, step on the brakes, or apply the brakes. To pause something is to take a break, while to end it is to break up or break it off. In the end, it comes down to whether you are literally or metaphorically putting on the brakes, as you would in yourkar car.
We'll take brake first, as it is simpler. As a noun, a brake is almost always used to refer to a mechanism that is used to slow or stop a vehicle, such as a car, truck, sled, wheelchair, etc. (See brake at dictionary.com for rarer uses.) As a verb, to brake is to apply a braking mechanism to slow or stop movement.
Even after years of riding with Steve, Danny's right foot still instinctively tried to brake from the passenger side of the car.It gets a little trickier, because you can apply metaphorical brakes as well.
The governor told Steve, "Look, we're getting a lot of pressure to put the brakes on this investigation."
When we look at break, there are scores and scores of definitions. In fact, see break at dictionary.com to get a full list. These definitions, verb or noun, mostly boil down to something being disassembled into pieces, separated, and/or not working or no longer in effect. The noun form, especially, is also used for pauses or discontinuity, such as a coffee break or a break in the action.
Kono used the butt of her gun to break the glass in the door so she could reach in and turn the deadbolt.
Danny rolled his eyes at Steve once again hanging a suspect off the roof. "I thought you were going to break this habit."
Chin peered through the break in the wall, looking for movement.
"You can see the break in the arm, here," Max said, pointing at the X-ray.
"Take a break," Steve ordered the team. "We'll come back to this fresh tomorrow."
So, how do you distinguish between something that is slowed down or stopped by breaking versus braking? The easy part is that when you are talking about intentionally stopping a vehicle, you always use brake. If your car stops because it breaks, the next step is calling a tow truck.
In the less literal uses, either word might be used to indicate stopping something ongoing, either temporarily or permanently. In these cases, there are specific phrases associated with each. Just as if there were an actual, physical pedal, you put on the brakes, step on the brakes, or apply the brakes. To pause something is to take a break, while to end it is to break up or break it off. In the end, it comes down to whether you are literally or metaphorically putting on the brakes, as you would in your
