What does breakage mean?
Word: Breakage
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Breakage means harm done when something gets broken; it can also mean an object that has been broken.
How do you spell breakage?
Syllables: break - age
Tricky part: The first part says ay but is spelt ea, so many students write brak or brake at the start.
Watch out for: brakage, brakeage
Memory tip: Take a break, not a brake: the ea spelling is the one for things that crack and snap.
Breakage in a sentence
Example 1: The shop wrapped each glass in paper to avoid breakage on the way home.
Example 2: There was no breakage when our cupboard was moved to the new flat.
Example 3: Mum checked the parcel for breakage as soon as it arrived.
Fun Fact
Bubble wrap, now used to stop breakage in parcels, began in 1957 as an attempt to make textured wallpaper.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Makeup
Choose the suffix that completes the word:
break
a) ege
b) age
c) aje
d) idge
Show answer
b) age. The ending is the one in package and luggage.
Word Cookie
Find the extra letter in the word:
breackage
a) k
b) g
c) c
d) r
Show answer
c) c. A k alone makes this sound here; the c is not needed.
Mingle-Mangle
Form a meaningful word from the jumbled letters:
gekabare
a) bandage
b) breakage
c) breakaway
d) baggage
Show answer
b) breakage. The jumble has a k and an r, which baggage and bandage lack, and only two a's, so breakaway is out.
Word Connection
Choose the synonym of the word: breakage
a) repair
b) comfort
c) savings
d) damage
Show answer
d) damage. Damage is harm done to something, which is just what breakage is.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. A sign in a crockery shop asks customers to pay for breakages. What is it warning about?
a) items that cost too much
b) items that arrive late
c) items that get smashed or cracked
d) items that are sold out
Show answer
c) items that get smashed or cracked
2. In a kitchen, what is a common cause of breakage?
a) folding a cloth napkin
b) washing a steel spoon
c) dropping a glass plate
d) drying a wooden board
Show answer
c) dropping a glass plate
