What is the the difference between the words 'breakdown' and 'break down'?

Answer 1

'Breakdown' is a noun.

'Break down' is a verb.

"Breakdown" is to fall apart or come "unglued"; e.g., She had a mental breakdown. "Break down" is to take apart or to dismantle; e.g., He broke down the components of the new toy to see how it worked. Typically, the word breakdown is used in the context of presenting a series of steps or sequence of events, as in the finer details of a subject or topic. One good example for breakdown would be the Installation Guide section of a product you may obtain that needs assembly. This section itemizes the steps required to assemble the product, and the appropriate sequence of those steps. Some steps may be so complex, they are further broken down to provide better detail on each of the sub-steps to complete for a successful assembly of the product. Breakdown can be used in other contexts too, such as "Give me the breakdown of the plan crash", which is a request for the finer details of the steps and sequence of the events that led up to the plane crashing to the ground. Typically, the words break down (separated) are used in the context of something that has broken, or stopped working as it was originally designed. It is often said that a thing is; up and running. However, when it stops working or performing, this is referred to as a break down, such as a car on the side of the roadway. Sometimes, break down is also used to describe a communication failure (either in a company policy, or simple dialog between two or more people).

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