Learn about the difference between the homophones: born and borne

Definitions

born

Born is the past participle of the verb 'bear', which means to give birth to a child or to come into existence.

Example

She was born in Paris.

Example

He was born with a silver spoon in his mouth.

borne

Borne is the past participle of the verb 'bear', which means to carry or support something.

Example

The weight of the boxes was too much to be borne by one person.

Example

The responsibility for the project was borne by the entire team.

Tips To Remember the Differences

Here are a few tips to easily distinguish the difference between these words while keeping in mind the description we've provided:

- To remember the difference between born and borne, you can associate born with the act of giving birth or coming into existence. Think of the phrase 'newborn baby'. - For borne, think of it as carrying or supporting something. You might say 'the weight was borne by the team' or 'she bore the burden of her family's financial troubles'.