# breaking vs breathing

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### breaking
*noun · IPA /ˈbɹeɪkɪŋ/ · frequency rank #1,854*
The act by which something is broken.

### breathing
*noun · IPA /ˈbɹiːðɪŋ/ · frequency rank #4,429*
verbal noun of breathe: (uncountable) The act of respiration; (countable) a single instance of this.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/vs/breaking-vs-breathing