brick · break
brick /brɪk/ · break /breɪk/ — same br- start and -k ending, but a short, clipped vowel in brick versus a gliding diphthong in break. Break also does double duty: it’s both a verb (to break something) and a noun (a pause or rest).
noun — a rectangular block of baked clay used in building — 'a brick wall' · 'a red brick house'
mouth shape
short /ɪ/ — jaw barely opens, quick and clipped — like 'trick', 'click' — ends in a crisp /k/
brick
/brɪk/
vowel length
plays as: “a red brick”
verb — to separate into pieces, or to stop working, — 'don't break it' · 'the machine broke'. Also a noun — a pause or rest — 'take a break' · 'coffee break'
mouth shape
diphthong /eɪ/ — mouth opens then glides up into a smile — like 'take', 'make' — ends in the same /k/ as brick
break
/breɪk/
vowel length
plays as: “take a break”
Key difference
brick — /ɪ/ is short and clipped, mouth barely opens — like trick, click. break — /eɪ/ is a gliding diphthong, mouth opens then stretches into a smile — like take, make. Both start with the same /br/ cluster and end in the same /k/ — only the vowel in the middle changes.
“Break” is both a verb and a noun
As a verb, break means to separate something into pieces or to stop it from working — “don’t break the glass”, “the printer broke”. As a noun, break means a pause or period of rest — “take a break”, “coffee break”, “lunch break”. Same word, same pronunciation, two unrelated-feeling but actually connected meanings: a break (rest) is literally a break (interruption) in your work.
Example sentences
brick:“The house is built of red brick.”
brick:“He threw a brick through the window.”
break (verb):“Be careful not to break that vase.”
break (noun):“Let’s take a five-minute break.”
Hear it in the wild
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brick
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break
Hear native speakers say “break” in real sentences — news, lectures, and podcasts.
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How teachers explain this
Approved tips from the community, sorted by helpfulness
Word families
brick family ▸
break family ▸
Related pairs
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