Is it, see your own breath, or breathe? If the appropriate word choice in the sentence above befuddles you (that is, the difference between “breath” vs. “breathe”), then let’s all just take a deep breath as we parse out the difference.
“Breathe” vs. “breath”
Breathe and breath are simply different forms of the same word; i.e., they belong to separate parts of speech:
Breath, (which we pronounce breth), is a noun that refers to the literal air we inhale and exhale when performing the action (read: verb) of breathing, (or inhaling and exhaling air from our lungs).
Breathe, (with an elongated “e”, like bre–eee–th), is a verb that refers to the essential life-sustaining action of inhaling and expelling oxygen to and from our lungs.
Another way to remember the difference is to recall that breathe is a verb, and so it will have different forms based on tense (e.g., breathe, breathed, breathing). If you can use any of these forms in the sentence, then the word you’re looking for is breathe, the verb form.
Sentences with breath and breathe
| Sentences with the noun breath | Sentences with the verb breathe |
| His breath stinks of garlic. It would be nice to get a breath of fresh air. I took a minute to catch my breath before speaking. | He breathed deeply before speaking again. Breathe in through your nose. I could hear the sound of someone breathing. |
Phrases with “breath”
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| With bated-breath | Meaning don’t wait for something to happen or expect it to happen. |
| To waste one’s breath/a waste of one’s breath | Meaning something is not worth discussing since it won’t be taken into consideration or acknowledgement. |
| Be holding your breath/don’t hold your breath | Don’t wait around expecting that something will happen. |
| Catch a breath | To give someone a chance to breathe, or a moment to catch their breath. |
| A breath of fresh air | Said when something is refreshing or a welcome change from before. |
| All in one breath | When someone says or does something extremely quickly. |
| Jungle breath | Meaning terrible or foul-smelling breath. |
| Take a deep breath | Literal; to inhale oxygen and exhale. |
| To swear under one’s breath | To say something inconspicuously so as no one hears. |
| Take someone’s breath away | For someone to be overwhelmed by intense feelings, usually of passion or love. |
| Keep your breath to cool your porridge | Focus on your life and your own issues rather than dwelling on other people’s problems. |
| The breath of life | Those things which we need to live and survive. |
Phrases with “breathe”
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| To be able to breathe freely again | To feel relieved after dealing with something difficult or stressful. |
| To breathe new life into someone or something | To reinvigorate something that’s become dull or monotonous. |
| Breathe one’s last breath | To die; literal. |
| To breathe a sigh of relief | To feel or show relief towards or about something. |
| Not a breathe a word of something | To keep something a secret, not to mention it to anyone. |
| Eat, breathe and sleep | To dedicate all of one’s time to something (sort of like how we are with Grammarflex!) |
| Breathe fire | To strongly express anger towards someone or something. |
| As I live and breathe! | An expression of amazement; similar to ‘Wow!’ |
| Hardly have time to breathe | To not have the time to do anything; to be short on time. |
| Breathe easy | To feel relief, perhaps after something stressful. |
Synonyms of “breathe”
- inhale
- exhale
- draw in air
- sigh
Origin of the word breath/breathe
Old English bræð “odor, scent, stink, exhalation, vapor” (the Old English word for “air exhaled from the lungs” was æðm), from Proto-Germanic *bræthaz “smell, exhalation”.
Read about other confusing words
- Is it Elude or Allude?
- When to Use Infer vs Imply
- Is it Allot, A lot or Alot?
- Which is it: Allusion or Illusion?
- Insure, Ensure or Assure?
- Already or All Ready?
Sources
- Breath, Oxford Learner’s Dictionary, accessed on Oct 9, 2023.
- Breathe, Oxford Learner’s Dictionary, accessed on Oct 9, 2023.
- Harper, Douglas. “Etymology of breath.” Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com/word/breath. Accessed 9 October, 2023.
- “Breath.” TheFreeDictionary.com. 2023. Farlex, Inc. 3 Nov. 2023 https://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/breath
- “Breathe.” McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. 2002. The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. 3 Nov. 2023 https://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/breathe
