break
/ˈbɹeɪk/
verbnoun
Core
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!”
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break and interrupt share a recorded sense, so the question is not what they mean but which one fits. break means “terminate”. interrupt means “make a break in”. break is the more common of the two in everyday English.
/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!”
/ˌɪntɚˈʌpt/
1.v.make a break in
“We interrupt the program for the following messages”
2.v.destroy the peace or tranquility of
“Don't interrupt me when I'm reading”
3.v.interfere in someone else's activity
“Please don't interrupt me while I'm on the phone”
| break | interrupt | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ˈbɹeɪk/ | /ˌɪntɚˈʌpt/ |
| Said | brayk | in-tur-UHPT |
| Syllables | 1 | 3 |
| Letters | 5 | 9 |
| Parts of speech | verb, noun | verb, noun |
| Senses | 75 | 5 |
| How common | Core | Common |
| Synonyms | interrupt | disrupt, break up, cut off |
Full entry for break · Full entry for interrupt · More comparisons