Emails often filled with mistakes

From Roger Corry

The above email was sent to me from a customer. This gentlemen is well educated and usually very thorough in his emails.  But as you can see even the best make mistakes when they have limited time to proof read.

I struggle with the words “brake” and “break”. I typically make the mistake when I am talking about taking a “break” at work. What has helped me to overcome my confusion is to take a second and remember the definition of each. First the definition of break is: to damage, to separate, and a pause or period of rest. Whereas brake is: to stop or slow, basically talking about the pedal in a car. I usually have to take a second and remember “brake” is associated with stopping a car or something similar to that.  

Sentence examples:

I have worked too many hours and need a break.

The car inched slowly because Tom had his foot on the brake.

Tom needed a break to rest his foot from using his car brake excessively.

This is probably a concept I should have learned in elementary school, but for some reason I don’t remember the “brake/break” lesson.  Maybe I was taking a break from school that day.