breakdown

/ˈbɹeɪkdaʊn/

//ˈbɹeɪkdaʊn// noun

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

"breakdown" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“breakdown” has 14 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #6,028. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#6,028
frequency rank, English
31,241
“B” headwords
14
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A failure, particularly one which is mechanical in nature.

Corpus desk

Index EN-breakdown · breakdown · English

breakdown · rank #6,028 · 14 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #6,028
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 14 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 31,241
  • PHOTO-FINISH booth

Nearest frequency peer: booth (-1 rank slots)

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.

Frequency neighbourhood for “breakdown”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “breakdown” sits against the nearest ranked English headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of May 6, 2026
Key facts for breakdown
PropertyValue
Headwordbreakdown
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈbɹeɪkdaʊn/
Letters9
Frequency rank#6,028
Misspellings tracked14
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “breakdown” sits in English 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). breakdown lands here:

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

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

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 14 spelling variants around breakdown (IPA /ˈbɹeɪkdaʊn/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #6,028 among 31,241 “B” headwords. Wiktionary lists 17 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 14 likely wrong-spelling variants for breakdown, with forms such as "bbreakdown", "berakdown", and "braekdown". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. No close-neighbour confusable shows up for this headword in our dataset, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Etymologically, the entry records: Deverbal from break down. The correct English form is breakdown, spelled B-R-E-A-K-D-O-W-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    A failure, particularly one which is mechanical in nature.
  2. 2
    A failure, particularly one which is mechanical in nature.
  3. 3
    Something, such as a vehicle, that has experienced a mechanical failure.
  4. 4
    Separation of a thing into components; decomposition, fragmentation; (countable) an instance of this.
  5. 5
    Separation of a thing into components; decomposition, fragmentation; (countable) an instance of this.
  6. 6
    Separation of a thing into components; decomposition, fragmentation; (countable) an instance of this.
  7. 7
    A failure in a relationship; a failure or loss of organization in a system.
  8. 8
    (Sudden) worsening of physical health or (more commonly) mental stability, resulting in an inability to carry on normal activities; (countable) an instance of this.
  9. 9
    Injury to a horse's leg causing lameness; (countable) an instance of this.
  10. 10
    The short period of open play immediately after a tackle and before and during the ensuing ruck.
  11. 11
    An act of splitting logs of wood using a large saw in a sawmill; also, the saw used; or (rare) the building in which the process is carried out.
  12. 12
    A part of a piece of music or a song which differs from the other parts in that it features improvisation or is stripped down (for example, played by fewer instruments or a solo performer).
  13. 13
    Synonym of percussion break (“a percussion-focused segment of a song, chosen by a hip-hop DJ to manipulate through cutting, mixing, and other techniques in order to create rhythmic music”).
  14. 14
    A section of a song, typical in hardcore music and related styles (such as metalcore, grindcore, and deathcore), characterized by a lower tempo and greater heaviness and intensity of sound.
  15. 15
    A noisy, rapid, shuffling dance engaged in competitively by a number of individuals or pairs in succession, common among African-Americans from the Southern United States; also, a lively event, chiefly in a rural setting, at which such dancing is done; a hoedown, a shindig.
  16. 16
    A piece of music played for such a dance, especially a rapid bluegrass tune featuring a five-string banjo.
  17. 17
    An act of a structure or other thing breaking and collapsing.

Etymology

Deverbal from break down.

This word in other languages

avería(Español)panne(Français)Betriebsstörung(Deutsch)avaria(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • bbreakdown
  • berakdown
  • braekdown
  • breadkown
  • breakddown
  • breakdonw
  • breakdownn
  • breakdowwn
  • breakdwon
  • breakkdown
  • breakodwn
  • brekadown
  • brreakdown
  • rbeakdown

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of breakdown - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

bbreakdown1berakdown2braekdown2breadkown2breakddown1breakdonw2breakdownn1breakdowwn1
Edit distance from "breakdown"

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 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

PlainSpell is rendered directly from structured Wiktionary extracts and open word-frequency lists, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of May 6, 2026. Primary sources: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) and FrequencyWords.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "breakdown"?
"breakdown" is spelled B-R-E-A-K-D-O-W-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈbɹeɪkdaʊn/.
What does "breakdown" mean?
As a noun, "breakdown" means: A failure, particularly one which is mechanical in nature.
What are common misspellings of "breakdown"?
Common misspellings include "bbreakdown", "berakdown", "braekdown", "breadkown", "breakddown". The correct spelling is "breakdown".
How do you pronounce "breakdown"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "breakdown" is /ˈbɹeɪkdaʊn/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "breakdown"?
Deverbal from break down. See the full etymology section above for more details.
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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "breakdown", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 9 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

civilians#6,036consensus#6,039donations#6,045respected#6,007

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (14 here; floor ≥5).

promising14 variantsnutrition14 variantsseemingly14 variantssouthwest14 variants
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