uhn-BROH-kuhn
/ənˈbɹoʊkən/
unbroken is pronounced uhn-BROH-kuhn (/ənˈbɹoʊkən/). Unbroken describes something not interrupted, torn, or damaged; it conveys continuity or an uninterrupted state. In everyday use, it can refer to physical continuity (an unbroken chain) or abstract persistence (unbroken concentration). The term often implies resilience and completeness, suggesting no gaps or defects in the sequence or condition being described.
Unbroken describes something not interrupted, torn, or damaged; it conveys continuity or an uninterrupted state. In everyday use, it can refer to physical continuity (an unbroken chain) or abstract persistence (unbroken concentration). The term often implies resilience and completeness, suggesting no gaps or defects in the sequence or condition being described.
"Her speech was clear and unbroken, with no hesitations."
"The rope remained unbroken after the harsh test."
"The team played with an unbroken rhythm for the entire match."
Pronounce as /ənˈbroʊ.kən/ in US and UK English, with primary stress on the second syllable: un-BRO-ken. The first syllable is a schwa (ə), the second contains the long O diphthong /oʊ/, and the final syllable is a light /ən/ (schwa+n). Tip: keep a steady beat on BRO to convey emphasis without over-enunciating the final consonant cluster.
Common errors include stressing the first syllable instead of the second (uN-BRO-ken vs un-BRO-ken) and mispronouncing the /oʊ/ diphthong as a pure /o/ or /ɑ/; another error is pronouncing the final /n/ too strongly or cutting the final /ən/ into two discrete sounds. Correct by emphasizing BRO with a clear /oʊ/ glide and ending with a quick, soft /ən/ rather than a hard /n/ cluster.
In US and UK, the primary stress remains on BRO, but vowel quality slightly shifts: US /oʊ/ tends to be a longer diphthong with more height movement, while UK /əʊ/ can be somewhat closer to /əʊ/ with less glide. In Australian English, the /oʊ/ may be a shorter or more centralized diphthong, and the final /ən/ can be more ‘airy’ with less precise nasal closure. Overall, the rhythm stays trochaic but vowel colors vary.
The difficulty lies in the two-morpheme boundary where the stress shifts from UN to BRO, creating a strong consonant cluster /br/ and a diphthong /oʊ/. The final /ən/ can reduce to a syllabic nasal in rapid speech, causing a potential lack of clarity. Speakers often blend syllables, so keeping clean segmentation between BRO and ken helps maintain intelligibility, especially in fast delivery.
The unique consideration is maintaining consistent syllable weight across a three-syllable word with a mid-stress pattern (unstressed- stressed-unstressed). The speaker should avoid turning BRO into a heavier or lighter beat than UN and ken, preserving the natural ‘smooth’ energy across the word. IPA clarity helps when discussing precise vowel reductions and gliding patterns in professional pronunciation work.
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Unbroken comes from the prefix un- meaning “not” added to broken. The root broken traces to the Old English brēogan (to break) with Proto-Germanic origins *brauganą (to break, injure). The form un- as a negator has Germanic roots and appears in many English words to indicate negation or reversal. The adjective broken itself appears in Middle English from Old English brēacen, with related forms in Dutch and German. The combination un- + broken began to appear in Middle English in the sense of ‘not broken’ by the sense of intact or continuous states, and by Early Modern English it commonly described states of continuity, completeness, or lack of interruption. In contemporary usage, unbroken frequently emphasizes resilience or uninterrupted sequence across physical, temporal, or metaphorical domains. The phrase “unbroken” extends metaphorically to smoothness or lack of gaps in narratives, performances, or records, maintaining a sense of wholeness that is easily understood across dialects and registers.
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Words that rhyme with "unbroken"
-ken sounds
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