groundbreaking
/ˈɡɹaʊndˌbɹeɪkɪŋ/adjective, noun
groundbreaking is spelled G-R-O-U-N-D-B-R-E-A-K-I-N-G: 14 letters and 3 syllables. It appears 2.9 times per million words in written English, the 15,798th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). People search “ground-breaking vs groundbreaking” about 10 times a month (Bing, United States). As an adjective, groundbreaking means “Innovative; new, different; doing something that has never been done before” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in groundbreaking?
| Letters | 14: G-R-O-U-N-D-B-R-E-A-K-I-N-G |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 2.9 times per million words; the 15,798th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Pairs people 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); Bing searches in the United States: the average month from September 2025 to August 2026 (Microsoft Advertising keyword data through DataForSEO, read September 30, 2026).
How common is groundbreaking?
Groundbreaking appears 2.9 times per million words in written English, the 15,798th 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 groundbreaking?
- US /ˈɡɹaʊndˌbɹeɪkɪŋ/
- Australia /ˈɡɹæɔndˌbɹæɪkɪŋ/
- /ˈɡɹæʊndˌbɹæɪkəŋ/
Groundbreaking 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: En-us-groundbreaking.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Words people confuse with groundbreaking
Word pairs people search, with the monthly searches for “a vs b” (G: Google, B: Bing, United States).
Also written: ground-breaking (one word or two).
Sources: Google and Bing searches (September 2025 to August 2026, through DataForSEO); English Wiktionary (homophones, alternative spellings).
Forms of groundbreaking
- more groundbreaking comparative
- most groundbreaking superlative
- groundbreakings plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does groundbreaking mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Innovative; new, different; doing something that has never been done before.
The latest model includes several groundbreaking features and improvements.
noun
- 1
The point at which construction begins, by digging into the ground.
- 2
A ceremony to mark the beginning of construction.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Groundbreaking in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | révolutionnaire |
| German | bahnbrechend, weltbewegend, innovativ , Grundsteinlegung, Baubeginn |
| Portuguese | inovador |
| Spanish | rompedor, romper esquemas |
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 groundbreaking come from?
From ground + breaking, in reference to the practice of breaking ground at the beginning of a new building or construction.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).