# broken

> English word · Verb · IPA /ˈbɹəʊ.kn̩/ · frequency rank #1,387

## Definitions
1. past participle of break

## Etymology
From Middle English broken, from Old English brocen, ġebrocen, from Proto-Germanic *brukanaz, past participle of Proto-Germanic *brekaną (“to break”). Cognate with Dutch gebroken (“broken”), German Low German broken (“broken”), German gebrochen (“broken”). Morphologically broke + -n.

## Easily confused with
- **brown** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/broken-vs-brown)
- **broker** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/broken-vs-broker)
- **Brooke** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/broken-vs-brooke)
- **bren** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bren-vs-broken)
- **broke** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/broke-vs-broken)
- **brake** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/brake-vs-broken)
- **bloke** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bloke-vs-broken)
- **Bowen** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bowen-vs-broken)
- **Boden** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/boden-vs-broken)
- **booked** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/booked-vs-broken)
- **brakes** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/brakes-vs-broken)
- **booker** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/booker-vs-broken)
- **brazen** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/brazen-vs-broken)
- **blokes** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/blokes-vs-broken)
- **Bremen** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bremen-vs-broken)
- **Braden** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/braden-vs-broken)
- **brogan** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/brogan-vs-broken)
- **broaden** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/broaden-vs-broken)
- **bracken** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bracken-vs-broken)

## Common misspellings (9)
`bbroken`, `borken`, `brkoen`, `broekn`, `brokenn`, `brokken`, `brokne`, `brroken`, `rboken`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/broken