breakwater
/ˈbɹeɪkˌwɔːtə/noun
breakwater is spelled B-R-E-A-K-W-A-T-E-R: 10 letters and 3 syllables. It appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 44,209th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, breakwater means “A construction in or around a harbour designed to break the force of the sea and to provide shelter for vessels lying inside” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of breakwater is breakwaters.
How many letters and syllables are in breakwater?
| Letters | 10: B-R-E-A-K-W-A-T-E-R |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 2 million words; the 44,209th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is breakwater?
Breakwater appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 44,209th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce breakwater?
- UK /ˈbɹeɪkˌwɔːtə/
Breakwater has 3 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vininn126-breakwater.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Words people confuse with breakwater
Also written: break water (one word or two).
Sources: English Wiktionary (homophones, alternative spellings).
Forms of breakwater
- breakwaters plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does breakwater mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A construction in or around a harbour designed to break the force of the sea and to provide shelter for vessels lying inside.
- 2
A low bulkhead across the forecastle deck of a ship which diverts water breaking over the bows into the scuppers.
- 3
A wooden or concrete barrier, usually perpendicular to the shore, intended to prevent the movement of sand along a coast.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Breakwater in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | jetée, brise-lames, môle , digue |
| German | Mole, Wellenbrecher , Buhne |
| Portuguese | quebra-mar, esporão |
| Spanish | rompeolas, espigón, reventazón, escollera |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does breakwater come from?
From break + water. Compare Dutch breekwater (“breakwater”). Compare firebreak.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).