Born vs Borne | Difference, Correct Use & Examples
The words borne and born are, technically speaking, both past participles of the verb “bear” and are pronounced in the same way (i.e., they are homophones).
- Use born in the phrase “to be born” when it refers to “a child coming into the world” or “something coming into existence.”
- Borne is the past participle for all other meanings of the verb bear, such as “carry,” “support,” or “accept.”
| Born to mean coming into existence (e.g., a child) | Borne for all other uses of bear |
|---|---|
| She was born in 1985. | I stopped him from climbing on the roof because it wouldn’t have borne his weight. |
| When’s the baby going to be born? | The company has borne all the costs up to now. |
| A new era had been born. | It’s great to see that all our efforts have borne fruit. |
| The project was born out of a desire to create something new. | The measure is designed to prevent hospital-borne infections. |
A QuillBot Grammar Check can also help ensure you’re using words and expressions like these correctly.
Born or borne (childbirth)
Born (not “borne”) is the correct spelling when referring to someone “entering the world” using the phrase “to be born” (e.g., “He was born in a small village”).
However, borne is the correct past participle of the verb “bear” when it means to “have/carry a child” (used in the active voice or the passive voice before “by”). But these usages are rare in modern English.
Henry’s wives had borne several daughters before the birth of his first healthy son.
Only one of the children borne by Catherine of Aragon survived into adulthood.
Born out or borne out
The phrasal verb “bear out” means “to confirm/prove.” Borne (not “born”) is the correct spelling of the past participle of this verb.
The spelling born is correct when the preposition “out of” follows the phrase “to be born” to refer to “a child coming into the world” or “the reason for something coming into existence.”
The artistic movement was born out of this period of social and political change.
It was a decision born out of necessity.
Frequently asked questions about born vs borne
- What does borne out mean?
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Borne out is the past participle of the phrasal verb “bear out,” which means “confirm/prove” (e.g., “Her suspicions were borne out when the investigation revealed the truth”).
“Born and borne” are commonly confused. “Born” is the correct spelling in the phrase “to be born” when it refers to “a child coming into the world” or “something coming into existence” (e.g. “He was born on a Monday,” “And so a new chapter was born”).The free QuillBot Grammar Checker will help you select the correct spelling of commonly confused words such as “born” and “borne.”
- What does bourne out of mean?
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Bourne out of is an incorrect spelling of the phrase “to be born” followed by the preposition “out of.”
The correct spelling is “born out of.”
The expression “to be born out of wedlock” means “to be born to parents who were not married” (e.g., “The child was born out of wedlock”).
The phrase “to be born out of” means “to originate from/be a result of” (e.g., “His writing is born out of experience,” “The decision was born out of necessity”).
Born and borne are commonly confused, “borne” is the past participle of the verb “bear” when it means “carry,” “support,” or “accept.”
The QuillBot Paraphrasing Tool can help you rewrite sentences and find new ways to express your meaning.
