Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

broken window

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.54 in modern English

Syllables: bro-ken win-dow
IPA

25

Scrabble Score

12

Letters

3

Syllables

9

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

Under broken windows theory, anything that signals an area is unmonitored or unworthy of proper behavior, leading to crime.

Example Sentences

"Fare evasion was the biggest broken window in the transit system."

Inflected Forms

broken windows (plural)

Questions

What does broken window mean?: Under broken windows theory, anything that signals an area is unmonitored or unworthy of proper behavior, leading to crime.

How to pronounce broken window

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “broken window”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling () so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “broken window”.
Repeat and practice — Say “broken window” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.