brechen

[ˈbʁɛçn̩]

/[ˈbʁɛçn̩]/ verb

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

The verdict

“brechen” is a regularly-used German word, ranked #3,876 in German word frequency and used as a verb.

#3,876
frequency rank, German
7
letters
11
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - etwas zerkleinern, durch Kraft in mehrere Stücke zerlegen

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

brechen vs Bremen
57% similar
brechen vs buchen
71% similar
brechen vs brecht
71% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for brechen
PropertyValue
Headwordbrechen
LanguageGerman
Part of speechVerb
IPA[ˈbʁɛçn̩]
Letters7
Frequency rank#3,876
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “brechen” sits in German frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). brechen lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The German entry for brechen is 7 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ˈbʁɛçn̩]. Corpus data places it at rank #3,876 in overall German word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 10 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for brechen, with forms such as "bbrechen", "berchen", and "brcehen". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "Bremen", "buchen", "brecht", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

This entry carries no recorded etymology, leaving phoneme-to-grapheme mapping as the best guide to its spelling rather than a borrowing history. The correct German form is brechen, spelled B-R-E-C-H-E-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    etwas zerkleinern, durch Kraft in mehrere Stücke zerlegen
  2. 2
    äußerer Belastung nicht mehr standhalten können
  3. 3
    (Strahlen) etwas Gerichtetes in einem Winkel ablenken
  4. 4
    ein (abstraktes) Hindernis zunichte machen
  5. 5
    die bestehende Verbindung zu etwas lösen
  6. 6
    die bestehende Beziehung zu jemandem abbrechen, nicht mehr mit ihm verkehren
  7. 7
    (Regeln, Gesetze, Üblichkeiten und Ähnliches) übertreten, nicht einhalten
  8. 8
    plötzlich hervorkommen
  9. 9
    sich übergeben; sich erbrechen
  10. 10
    den Boden aufwühlen

Synonyms

durchbrechenberstenumlenkenrelevantRefraktioneinen Schlussstrich ziehenmeineidigseinuntreuseindurchbrechenleuchtenquellenspringenübergebenspeienspuckenkotzenreihernwühlen

Antonyms

vereinenstandhaltendurchfließendurchlaufenpassierendurchdringeneindringentransmittierenreflektierenzurückwerfenspiegelnbeugenunterliegenwahrenVerbindunghaltenvergehenversinkensterben

This word in other languages

break(English)partir(Español)casser(Français)partir(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: bbrechen,berchen,brcehen,brecchen,brecehn,brechenn,brechhen,brechne,brehcen,brrechen,rbechen

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of brechen - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

bbrechen1berchen2brcehen2brecchen1brecehn2brechenn1brechhen1brechne2
Edit distance from "brechen"

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 German corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "brechen"?
"brechen" is spelled B-R-E-C-H-E-N. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈbʁɛçn̩].
What does "brechen" mean?
As a verb, "brechen" means: etwas zerkleinern, durch Kraft in mehrere Stücke zerlegen
What words are commonly confused with "brechen"?
"brechen" is commonly confused with "Bremen", "buchen", "brecht". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "brechen"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "brechen" is [ˈbʁɛçn̩]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "brechen" come from?
"brechen" is a German word. PlainSpell's reference spans five languages -- English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German -- with definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for each.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “brechen”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct German spelling is B-R-E-C-H-E-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [ˈbʁɛçn̩] (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “Bremen” - see the side-by-side comparison. brechen vs Bremen
  • Browse more German words and confusable pairs in the same reference. German words
Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list