breach and break share a recorded sense, so the question is not what they mean but which one fits. breach means “a failure to perform some promised act or obligation”. break means “terminate”. break is the more common of the two in everyday English.
/ˈbɹitʃ/
1.n.a failure to perform some promised act or obligation
2.n.an opening (especially a gap in a dike or fortification)
3.n.a personal or social separation (as between opposing factions)
“they hoped to avoid a break in relations”
/ˈbɹeɪk/
1.v.terminate
“She interrupted her pregnancy”
2.v.become separated into pieces or fragments
“The figurine broke”
3.v.render inoperable or ineffective
“You broke the alarm clock when you took it apart!”
| breach | break | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ˈbɹitʃ/ | /ˈbɹeɪk/ |
| Said | breech | brayk |
| Syllables | 1 | 1 |
| Letters | 6 | 5 |
| Parts of speech | noun, verb | verb, noun |
| Senses | 5 | 75 |
| How common | Common | Core |
| Synonyms | none recorded | interrupt |
Full entry for breach · Full entry for break · More comparisons