Use born for birth (she was born in 1990). Use borne as the past participle of “bear” meaning carried, endured, or produced (the costs were borne by the company; airborne, waterborne).
The Core Difference
“Born” is used almost exclusively in the passive structure “to be born”, describing the moment or place of someone's birth: he was born in Kyiv.
“Borne” is the standard past participle of the verb “to bear” in all its other senses — carrying, enduring, or producing: the costs were borne equally, a disease borne by mosquitoes, she has borne three children (referring to the act of giving birth, not the state of being born).
- birth (passive, “was born”) → born: born in 1990
- carried/endured (all other senses of bear) → borne: costs borne by us, mosquito-borne
Born and Borne in Context
She was born in a small village in the mountains.
The extra expenses were borne entirely by the client.
Malaria is a disease borne by mosquitoes.
He has always borne his responsibilities with patience.
A newborn baby was born that morning, and the family's joy was clearly borne out in their smiles.
Common Mistakes
| Incorrect | Correct | Why |
|---|---|---|
| ✗ the costs were born by us | ✓ the costs were borne by us | past participle of bear, endured |
| ✗ she was borne in 1985 | ✓ she was born in 1985 | birth |
| ✗ a water born illness | ✓ a waterborne illness | carried/transmitted |
| ✗ he has born the burden alone | ✓ he has borne the burden alone | endured |
| ✗ air born particles | ✓ airborne particles | carried |
BORN is for birth — short, simple, and only used in the passive “was/is born”. BORNE has an E, like carriEd and enduRE — use it for every other meaning of “bear”.
Related Questions
- Born vs Borne — full confusing-words comparison page with additional examples and exercises.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the one rule that covers almost every case?
If the sentence is about someone's birth, use “born”. For every other meaning of “bear” (carry, endure, produce), use “borne”.
Why does mosquito-borne use borne, not born?
Because it means “carried by mosquitoes”, using “bear” in its “to carry” sense, which always takes the participle “borne”.
Is she has borne two children correct?
Yes — when describing the mother's act of giving birth (rather than the child's state of being born), “borne” is used: “she has borne two children”.
What does the costs were borne by the company mean?
It means the company paid for or carried the financial burden of the costs, using “bear” in its “to carry/endure” sense.
Is airborne spelled with born or borne?
With “borne” — “airborne” means carried through the air, following the “carried” sense of “bear”.
Why is born used only in the passive?
Because English treats birth as something that happens to a person rather than an action they perform, so “born” appears almost exclusively after “was/is/were”.
Is newborn spelled with an n or with borne?
“Newborn” uses “born” because it describes a baby recently born, not something carried or endured.
Do these words share the same root?
Yes — both come from the verb “to bear”, but English split the participle into two spellings depending on whether the meaning relates to birth or to carrying/enduring.
What does born and bred mean?
“Born and bred” is an idiom meaning someone was both born and raised in a particular place, as in “She's a Londoner, born and bred.” It always uses “born”, never “borne”.
Is foodborne illness spelled with born or borne?
With “borne” — “foodborne” means carried or transmitted through food, following the “carried” sense of “bear”, just like “airborne” and “waterborne”.