# breath

> English word · Noun · IPA /bɹɛθ/ · frequency rank #2,880

## Definitions
1. The act or process of breathing.
2. A single act of breathing in or out; a breathing of air.
3. Air expelled from the lungs.
4. A rest or pause.
5. A small amount of something, such as wind, or common sense.
6. Fragrance; exhalation; odor; perfume.
7. Gentle exercise, causing a quicker respiration.

## Etymology
From Middle English breeth, breth, from Old English brǣþ (“odor, scent, stink, exhalation, vapor”), from Proto-West Germanic *brāþi (“vapour, waft, exhalation, breath”) (compare German Brodem (“haze, vapor; breath”), of a different but related formation).

## Easily confused with
- **brett** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/breath-vs-brett)
- **Brent** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/breath-vs-brent)
- **broth** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/breath-vs-broth)
- **Brest** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/breath-vs-brest)
- **breech** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/breath-vs-breech)
- **broach** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/breath-vs-broach)
- **breathe** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/breath-vs-breathe)
- **breaths** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/breath-vs-breaths)
- **breathes** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/breath-vs-breathes)
- **breathed** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/breath-vs-breathed)
- **breather** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/breath-vs-breather)
- **beat** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/beat-vs-breath)
- **bath** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bath-vs-breath)
- **beth** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/beth-vs-breath)
- **brat** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/brat-vs-breath)
- **brah** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/brah-vs-breath)
- **Brea** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/brea-vs-breath)
- **break** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/break-vs-breath)
- **beach** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/beach-vs-breath)
- **bread** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bread-vs-breath)

## Common misspellings (9)
`bbreath`, `berath`, `braeth`, `breaht`, `breathh`, `breatth`, `bretah`, `brreath`, `rbeath`

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