Word Differences
Breath vs. Breathe: What’s the Difference?
Breath is the noun (a deep breath); breathe is the verb (breathe deeply). Here’s how the spelling and sound tell them apart.
By Vocabaura Editorial · Published 14 August 2026 · 4 min read
Quick answer
Breath is a noun (take a deep breath). Breathe is a verb (remember to breathe). The verb has an extra “e” at the end and a longer vowel sound.
Breath and breathe are close relatives, one word, two forms, but the small spelling difference marks a real grammatical split: one is a thing you have, the other is something you do.
Quick Answer
Breath (no final “e”) is a noun: the air you take in and let out. Breathe (with a final “e”) is a verb: the act of taking air in and letting it out.
Breath
Pronunciation: breth (short e, rhymes with “death”). Part of speech: noun.
Breath refers to the air moving in and out of the lungs, or to a single instance of that movement.
Breath (noun)
She took a deep breath before speaking.
Breath (noun)
His breath was visible in the cold air.
Quick check
Which word completes this sentence?
“She took a deep ______ before speaking.”
Free practice, no account or AI credits needed. Keep reading below.
Breathe
Pronunciation: breeth (long e, rhymes with “teethe”). Part of speech: verb.
Breathe describes the action of drawing air in and letting it out, literally or figuratively.
Breathe (verb)
Try to breathe slowly and calm down.
Breathe (figurative)
The new manager let the team breathe a little.
Which Word Should I Use?
If you can put “a” or “the” in front of it, it’s the noun, breath. If it needs a subject actually doing something (“I breathe,” “she breathes”), it’s the verb, breathe.
| Breath | Breathe | |
|---|---|---|
| Part of speech | Noun | Verb |
| Sound | Short e | Long e |
| Example | Take a breath. | Breathe deeply. |
Common Mistakes
- Writing “breathe” when you mean the noun: “take a breathe” should be “take a breath.”
- Writing “breath” as the verb: “just breath” should be “just breathe.”
- Mispronouncing breathe with the short “e” sound of breath, or vice versa, when reading aloud.
- Forgetting the extra “e” in “breathing,” “breathed” and other verb forms.
Practice
Practice 1
Take a deep ___ before you dive in. (breath)
Practice 2
Remember to ___ while you stretch. (breathe)
Practice 3
Her ___ smelled of peppermint. (breath)
Test yourself
0 of 3 answered
Free practice, no account or credits needed.
1. Which word is the noun?
2. Which word rhymes with “teethe”?
3. “I need to catch my ___.” Which fits?