What Is the Difference between "Breath" and "Breathe"?
The Quick Answer
To breathe (rhymes with seethe) means to inhale and expel air from the lungs.
Breath and Breathe
Writers occasionally confuse the words breath and breathe.Breath
The word breath is a noun that denotes the air either inhaled or exhaled during breathing. Colloquially, it can also mean a short pause (e.g., Take a breath and try again.)Of note, breath rhymes with death.
Examples:
- Paul pinched his nose, took a breath and jumped off the boat.
- He would fight until his last breath.
Breathe
The word breathe (which rhymes with seethe) is a verb with the following closely related meanings:To inhale and expel air from the lungs.
- Virtually all fish breathe through gills.
- Is she breathing?
(Note: Breathe drops the e when ing is added.)
- The new synthetic material can breathe to prevent moisture building up against the skin.
- He breathed new life into the project.
- He breathed a sigh of relief.
A Quick Test
Hot Tip
A Trick to Spot Breathe
Native English speakers only tend to confuse breath and breathe in writing. Therefore, if you use the e on the end of breathe to remind you that the ea is pronounced EE (i.e., breathe rhymes with seethe), then you will eliminate this error.- Do you disagree with something on this page?
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