“Breathe” vs. “Breath”: What’s the Difference?

The word breath is a noun that refers to “the product of breathing: the air that is taken into the lungs and let out.” If you’ve ever taken a yoga class, you may have heard the phrase “in through the nose, out through the mouth.” Each one of those cycles is your breath.

Breath is pronounced “breth” with a short “e” sound, like death or bread. It does have other senses, and is frequently used in idioms (you can read some of them below!).

The word breath as we use it today dates back to the 1200s, but its origin goes back even earlier. Breath comes from the Old English bræð, where it had once meant “odor or smell.” (Perhaps everyone really had bad breath back then.) By the 1200s, it was used to refer to the air passing through one’s lungs.

Don’t worry about trying to figure out how to use breath. These examples show how to use it properly in a sentence:

• It was so cold outside, I could see my breath.
• He was gasping for a breath after running the race.
• I took deep breaths and tried to relax before giving my speech.
• Please wait until I catch my breath!
• Always brush your teeth well, so you can prevent bad breath.

The word breathe is a verb that means “to take a breath by inhaling and exhaling.” Breathe is pronounced “breeth” with a long “e” sound, like seethe or teethe. Pro tip: That extra “e” at the end of breathe should indicate to you that it will have the /ee/ sound. Interestingly, the word breath used to be pronounced with the /ee/ sound, but now that is how we pronounce breathe.

Early records of breathe date back to the 1300s, possibly earlier. It also has other related meanings and uses, but it’s important to remember that all of these uses are verbs.

Breathe some life into your language by reviewing examples that show how to use breathe in a sentence. 

• Fish can breathe underwater since they have gills.
• It can be difficult to breathe through your nose when you have a cold.
• With this high altitude, let's stop and take a minute to breathe.
• She breathes deeply when she feels anxious.
• He was breathing hard after running to the library and back.

Looking for a simple way to remember when to use breath or breathe? These tips will help you remember that it all comes down to that “e” at the end.

Pronunciation Tips:

• Breathe has the extra “e” at the end, so pronounce it with the /ee/ sound.
• Breath does not have the extra “e,” so pronounce it with the short /e/ sound.

Usage Tips:

• The “th” in breath and thing sound the same, so use breath to refer to a thing (catch my breath).
• Think of the “e” in verb. Use breathe (with the extra “e”) for doing something or showing an action (breathe in deeply).
• If you are referring to exhaling, remember that exhale starts with “e,” so use the word with the extra “e” at the end: breathe.

It might help to keep this simple phrase in mind: You need to take a breath in order to breathe.

Take a moment to catch your breath by looking at some of the common phrases and idioms that include breath and breathe, along with their meanings.

Hopefully, this guide has been a breath of fresh air, and you have a better understanding of the uses of breath and breathe. It turns out there are many word pairs whose differences hang in the balance of a single letter, like loose vs. lose and stationary vs. stationery.