Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

break the news

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.99 in modern English

Syllables: break the news
IPA

24

Scrabble Score

12

Letters

1

Syllables

10

Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To inform someone of something first, usually used when it will be difficult to tell the person.

Example Sentences

"I didn't know how to break the news to her that her best friend had been in a car accident."

Inflected Forms

breaks the news (present, singular) breaking the news (participle, present) broke the news (past) broken the news (participle, past) break it (alternative) break it to (alternative)

Questions

What does break the news mean?: To inform someone of something first, usually used when it will be difficult to tell the person.

How to pronounce break the news

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “break the news”.
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 “break the news”.
Repeat and practice — Say “break the news” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.