breakthrough

/ˈbɹeɪk.θɹuː/

//ˈbɹeɪk.θɹuː// adj

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

"breakthrough" is a 12-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“breakthrough” has 19 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #9,143. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#9,143
frequency rank, English
31,241
“B” headwords
19
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Characterized by major progress or overcoming some obstacle.

Key facts for breakthrough
PropertyValue
Headwordbreakthrough
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈbɹeɪk.θɹuː/
Letters12
Frequency rank#9,143
Misspellings tracked19
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “breakthrough” 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). breakthrough 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 19 spelling variants around breakthrough (IPA /ˈbɹeɪk.θɹuː/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #9,143 among 31,241 “B” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 19 likely wrong-spelling variants for breakthrough, with forms such as "bbreakthrough", "berakthrough", and "braekthrough". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. 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: From break + through. Compare German Durchbruch and Dutch doorbraak (“breakthrough”, literally “through-break”). The correct English form is breakthrough, spelled B-R-E-A-K-T-H-R-O-U-G-H.

Definition

  1. 1
    Characterized by major progress or overcoming some obstacle.
  2. 2
    Involving the contraction of a disease by a person with a decreased susceptibility, such as a person who has been vaccinated to help prevent that disease.

Etymology

From break + through. Compare German Durchbruch and Dutch doorbraak (“breakthrough”, literally “through-break”).

This word in other languages

capital(Français)bahnbrechend(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • bbreakthrough
  • berakthrough
  • braekthrough
  • breakhtrough
  • breakkthrough
  • breakthhrough
  • breakthorugh
  • breakthroguh
  • breakthrouggh
  • breakthroughh
  • breakthrouhg
  • breakthrrough
  • breakthruogh
  • breaktrhough
  • breaktthrough
  • breatkhrough
  • brekathrough
  • brreakthrough
  • rbeakthrough

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of breakthrough - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

bbreakthrough1berakthrough2braekthrough2breakhtrough2breakkthrough1breakthhrough1breakthorugh2breakthroguh2
Edit distance from "breakthrough"

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.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "breakthrough"?
"breakthrough" is spelled B-R-E-A-K-T-H-R-O-U-G-H. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈbɹeɪk.θɹuː/.
What does "breakthrough" mean?
As an adjective, "breakthrough" means: Characterized by major progress or overcoming some obstacle.
What are common misspellings of "breakthrough"?
Common misspellings include "bbreakthrough", "berakthrough", "braekthrough", "breakhtrough", "breakkthrough". The correct spelling is "breakthrough".
How do you pronounce "breakthrough"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "breakthrough" is /ˈbɹeɪk.θɹuː/. 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 "breakthrough"?
From break + through. Compare German Durchbruch and Dutch doorbraak (“breakthrough”, literally “through-break”). 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.

Using “breakthrough”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is B-R-E-A-K-T-H-R-O-U-G-H - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈbɹeɪk.θɹuː/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Same frequency band

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