break the silence
"break-the-silence" is a 15-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“break the silence” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 17
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To start talking in a conversation after a period where nobody speaks.
Corpus desk
Index EN-break-the-silence · break the silence · English
break the silence · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables
- FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
- LEN-MEGA 17 letters
- VOW-6 6 vowels
- CONFUS-0 No pairs
- VAR-0 0 variants
- BOOK-THIN "B" thin
- PHOTO-UNK Peer pending
Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern
Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | break the silence |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Verb |
| Letters | 17 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Long-tail rank of “break the silence” in English
Rare enough to double-check
break the silence is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as averb. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.
No misspelling variants are generated for break the silence in our index, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.
Our source data has no etymology on file for this entry, so its spelling is easiest explained by how it's pronounced rather than where it came from. The correct English form is break the silence, spelled B-R-E-A-K- -T-H-E- -S-I-L-E-N-C-E.
Definition
- 1To start talking in a conversation after a period where nobody speaks.
- 2To state an opinion on a subject that has been taboo for a period of time.
Recorded use
Wiktionary examplesThese source excerpts show how break the silence appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.
Both men waited for the captain to make a decision. Finally, Dean broke the silence. “We need to know what to do, Captain! Before we sink!”
Words, like violence, / Break the silence / Come crashing in, / Into my little world
Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.