View source for Brake - break

Do not confuse the two [[homophone]]s '''brake''' and '''break''' - although many people have, and the historically based ''[[OED]]'' lists each as an alternative spelling of most meanings of the other. Both exist as [[noun]]s and [[verb]]s - and as [[adjective]]s (see [[epithet]]). AWE  has a note on the forms of the regular verb 'to [[Break (irregular verb)|break]]'.

 AWE advises <br> <br>'''brake''' for the general meaning 'slow down' and <br> <br>'''break''' for the meanings 'to reduce to parts' and 'to interrupt'.

This advice is current practice, and a clear and simple rule of thumb; but it is not as simple as that. Over history, both spellings have been used for all the meanings listed in ''[[OED]]'' - for more, see [[Brake (meanings)|brake (meanings)]] and [[Break (meanings)|break (meanings)]]. The confusion between '''brake''' and '''break''' continues among learners of English, and even such professional writers as journalists, as for example this, published in ''The Guardian''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s corrections and clarifications column on 24/03/2013: 
::Homophone corner: "I am very hopeful this will be a cost of living budget and that the chancellor is listening regarding fuel duty being a toxic tax and one of the biggest '''''breaks''''' on people getting back on their feet", which should of course be '''brakes''' (the writer means that fuel duty slows people down, not that it is an advantage to them). 

::::'''''[[Etymological]] note''''': Of two meanings recorded in ''[[OED]]'' (1888) for the derived noun '''breakage''', the first, "The action of a brake in stopping a train", is listed under the headword '''brakeage | breakage, ''n.'''''; the second - current - meaning, "the action or fact of breaking" (only listed as '''breakage'''), is not recorded before 1813.

::::::See also [[Brake (meanings)|brake (meanings)]] and [[Break (meanings)|break (meanings)]]. 

[[Category:homophones]]
[[Category:disambig]]
[[Category:spelling common errors]]