Breath and breathe look very similar, but they are not the same word. Breath is a noun that refers to the air you take in and out of your lungs, while breathe is a verb that means the action of taking air in and out. Because of their spelling and pronunciation differences, many learners confuse them in writing and speaking.
In this article, you’ll learn the difference between breath and breathe, with clear definitions, grammar explanations, pronunciation tips, and plenty of examples to help you use each word correctly in English.
What Does “Breath” Mean?
Breath is a noun. It means the air that goes into and out of your lungs when you breathe. You can take a breath, hold your breath, or run out of breath, but you cannot do a breath because it is not an action.
It is often used to talk about the way someone is breathing or the quality of their breathing, such as cold breath on a winter day or bad breath after eating garlic.
Examples:
- She took a deep breath before starting her presentation.
- After running, he was out of breath.
- On cold mornings, you can see your breath in the air.
What Does “Breathe” Mean?
Breathe is a verb. It means the action of taking air into your lungs (inhale) and letting it out again (exhale). Unlike breath, which is the air, breathe is what you do with that air.
You can breathe deeply, slowly, or quickly, depending on the situation. People often say breathe in and breathe out. It can also be used metaphorically to describe living freely or feeling relaxed. For example: After the exam, I can finally breathe again.
Examples:
- Please stop talking for a moment and let me breathe.
- The yoga teacher told us to breathe slowly and relax.
- Firefighters wear masks so they can breathe safely in smoke.
Pronunciation of Breath vs. Breathe
Even though the spelling is similar, breath and breathe are pronounced differently.
Breath is pronounced /breθ/ with a short vowel and an unvoiced “th” sound, like in think. It is a short word, and the ending sound is soft.
Breathe is pronounced /briːð/ with a long “ee” sound and a voiced “th” sound, like in this. The word is longer because of the vowel, and the final sound is stronger.
The key difference is at the end: breath has a soft, unvoiced /θ/, while breathe has a voiced /ð/. Practicing them out loud will make it easier to hear and feel the difference.
Example Sentences Using Breath and Breathe
Here are example sentences to show how breath and breathe are used differently in context. These examples will help you understand the difference more clearly.
Example Sentences with Breath (noun):
- She paused to catch her breath after climbing the stairs.
- His breath smelled strongly of garlic.
- The marathon runner finished completely out of breath.
- You could see his breath in the freezing air.
- The doctor listened to her breath with a stethoscope.
- She took a deep breath before giving her speech.
- He let out a long breath of relief.
- The child’s breath was slow and steady while sleeping.
- Cold wind made her breath visible in the air.
- He spoke in short breaths because of nervousness.
Example Sentences with Breathe (verb):
- Don’t panic, just breathe calmly.
- Doctors checked if the patient was still breathing.
- Athletes must breathe properly during exercise.
- He opened the window to breathe fresh air.
- The teacher told us to breathe in and breathe out slowly.
- She could barely breathe because of the smoke.
- It feels so good to finally breathe freely.
- The scuba diver signaled to breathe steadily underwater.
- He was so nervous he forgot to breathe.
- Without oxygen, humans cannot breathe.
Quiz: Breath vs. Breathe
1. She took a deep ____ before going on stage.
a) breath
b) breathe
2. Please stop talking for a moment and let me ____.
a) breath
b) breathe
3. After running for ten minutes, he was out of ____.
a) breath
b) breathe
4. The doctor told the patient to ____ slowly.
a) breath
b) breathe
5. You could see his ____ in the cold morning air.
a) breath
b) breathe
6. Firefighters wear masks so they can ____ safely in smoke.
a) breath
b) breathe
7. His last ____ was peaceful, surrounded by family.
a) breath
b) breathe
8. Without oxygen, humans cannot ____.
a) breath
b) breathe
9. She paused to catch her ____ before climbing the stairs.
a) breath
b) breathe
10. The yoga teacher reminded us to ____ in and out slowly.
a) breath
b) breathe
Quiz Answers
1) breath
2) breathe
3) breath
4) breathe
5) breath
6) breathe
7) breath
8) breathe
9) breath
10) breathe
