A broken wire electrode 3 of a wire electrode electric discharge machining device is automatically repaired at the wire breaking position. After the used portion is cut away, the wire electrode 3 is fed toward the work 1. Upon detection of contact of the wire electrode 3 with the work 1, the feeding of the wire electrode 3 is stopped. A predetermined amount of deflection is obtained when the feeding of the wire electrode 3 is stopped. The wire electrode 3 is then moved horizontally relative to the work 1 within a predetermined range, until the end of the wire electrode 3 eventually falls into the machined groove 14 and the wire electrode 3 comes out of contact with the work 1. Thereafter the feeding of the wire electrode 3 is resumed to span the wire electrode 3 across the feeding-side wire guide unit 4 and the receiving-side wire guide unit 5. The attitude of the wire electrode 3 within the machined groove 14 is constrained downward by the water jet 7 sucked into the machining liquid nozzle 27 via the suction pump 30.