2 syllables: bro, ken. Stress on bro.
BROH-kuhn
/ˈbɹoʊkən/
broken is pronounced BROH-kuhn (/ˈbɹoʊkən/). It has two syllables (bro-ken), with the stress on "bro". Broken carries two main senses: physically damaged or not functioning, and emotionally or mentally distressed. It denotes failure or imperfection in an object or system, or a state of sadness or depletion in a person. The term emphasizes rupture or fracture, and is commonly used in everyday speech to describe faulty hardware, strained relationships, or a defeated mood.
Broken carries two main senses: physically damaged or not functioning, and emotionally or mentally distressed. It denotes failure or imperfection in an object or system, or a state of sadness or depletion in a person. The term emphasizes rupture or fracture, and is commonly used in everyday speech to describe faulty hardware, strained relationships, or a defeated mood.
"The old radio is broken and won’t turn on."
"Her confidence was broken after the failure."
"The company’s broken supply chain caused delays."
Broken is pronounced with two syllables: /ˈbroʊ.kən/ in American English and /ˈbrəʊ.kən/ in British English. The primary stress falls on the first syllable. Start with the long 'o' sound in 'grow' for /oʊ/ (US) or /əʊ/ (UK), followed by a quick, neutral /kən/ with a light, almost 'uh' schwa before the final /n/. In casual speech the /r/ in US accents can be pronounced or rhotacized depending on the speaker, but in careful speech the /r/ is clear.
Common mistakes include misplacing the primary stress or reducing /oʊ/ to a short /o/ sound, and vowel shortening before /n/. Some speakers also replace /kən/ with /kən/ or omit the final syllable consonant cluster. To correct: ensure the first syllable carries primary stress with a clear /oʊ/ or /əʊ/ diphthong; pronounce the final /ən/ as a schwa + n, not a full ‘on’; keep the /k/ crisp before the suffix /ən/.
US tends to maintain rhoticity with a clearer /r/ and a strong /oʊ/ in the first syllable, whereas UK typically uses a non-rhotic /r/ and a clearer /əʊ/ diphthong in stressed syllables. Australian pronunciation often blends vowels and can be closer to US in rhotic contexts, with a slightly more centralized /ə/ in the first syllable. The final consonant /ən/ remains fairly consistent across accents, but vowel qualities and preconsonantal timing vary.
The challenge lies in the diphthong /oʊ/ followed by a voiceless /k/ and a fast, reduced /ən/ ending. The transition from the vowel to /k/ can cause a nick in the diphthong if rushed, and the final /ən/ is often syllabic or reduced in casual speech. Another challenge is maintaining two clear syllables when speaking quickly, ensuring the second vowel remains distinct without collapsing into /broh-kən/.
There are no silent letters in broken; it is pronounced with both syllables clearly: /ˈbroʊ.kən/ (US/UK). The challenge is not silent letters but accurate vowel quality (diphthong /oʊ/), precise /k/ articulation, and the reduced final syllable /ən/. Emphasize the two-syllable rhythm and keep the second syllable short but audible.
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Broken comes from Old English brocen, past participle of brecan, meaning to break or shatter. The Proto-Germanic root *brekaną (to break) is attested in several Germanic languages, linking to Dutch breken and German brechen. The form evolved through Old English to the present participle-like adjective broken, used as a predicative and postpositive modifier. The semantic shift widens from literal physical fracture to metaphorical states of ruin or defeat, with usage in figurative phrases like broken dreams or broken systems. By Middle English, broken appeared as a participial adjective describing something that had been broken or ruptured, increasingly used in idiomatic expressions. First known prints appear in religious and legal texts of the 13th-14th centuries, but the sense of something that has ceased to function or is damaged predates modern idiomatic usage. In contemporary English, broken functions as both a descriptor and a predicative adjective, frequently pairing with nouns like ‘phone,’ ‘promise,’ or ‘system.’
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Words that rhyme with "broken"
-ken sounds
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