Breath vs Breathe: Noun, Verb, Spelling, and Pronunciation

Breath is a noun; breathe is a verb. Their spelling differs by one final e, but the pronunciation changes as well.

Take a deep breath. / Try to breathe slowly. The noun ends with unvoiced /θ/; the verb ends with voiced /ð/ and has a longer vowel.

Use the sentence slot as evidence

After an article or adjective, a noun is likely: a short breath. After to, can, should or a subject, you normally need the verb: to breathe, can breathe, she breathes.

Word families are safer than isolated spellings. Compare word families and use minimal-pair practice for sound discrimination.

Pronunciation carries grammar

The noun–verb contrast belongs to a small family of English pairs in which final voicing changes with word class. You do not need to memorise the phonetic history, but hearing the contrast helps reading, spelling and speaking reinforce one another instead of becoming three separate tasks.