Here we are again with another edition of Gems of My Crown, and this week we're clearing up a mix-up that appears in manuscripts far more often than it should: breath vs. breathe.
Though they look nearly identical on the page, these two words serve very different grammatical purposes.
Breath
The word breath is a noun. It refers to the air that is inhaled or exhaled through the lungs. It can also describe the act of breathing in a figurative sense, such as a pause or moment of relief.
Because it is a noun, it describes a thing rather than an action.
Example:
She took a deep breath before stepping onto the stage.
Another example:
His breath was warm against her ear as he leaned in to whisper.
Breathe
The word breathe, on the other hand, is a verb. It refers to the action of inhaling and exhaling air.
The key difference here is the “e” at the end, which changes the word from a thing into an action.
Example:
He struggled to breathe after the long run.
Another example:
She told herself to breathe slowly and stay calm.
While these two words share the same root and are closely related in meaning, they cannot be used interchangeably. One names the air itself, while the other describes the act of taking it in.
And trust me—nothing pulls an editor out of a scene faster than a character trying to breath.