Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

breather

/ˈbɹiː.ðə(ɹ)/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: 3.02 in modern English

Syllables: breather
IPA: /ˈbɹiː.ðə(ɹ)/

13

Scrabble Score

8

Letters

2

Syllables

6

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

Something or someone that breathes.

noun

Something or someone that breathes.

noun

A short break; a rest or respite.

Colloquial

noun

A spatially localized, time-periodic excitation in a one-dimensional lattice.

noun

That which puts one out of breath, such as vigorous exercise.

Colloquial; Dated

noun

An air inlet path to the crankcase

Example Sentences

"Most of us make sense of the world through talk and sight, and breathers represent that most anxiety provoking experience, nothingness with a hint of possibility."
"After a short breather she was ready to continue up the hill."
"I took a breather and decided not to ruin my life"

Etymology

From breathe + -er (agent noun suffix) or + -er (relational noun suffix).

Word Breakdown

Suffix: breathe, er

Regional Pronunciation

British English: /ˈbɹiː.ðə(ɹ)/

Usage

Inflected Forms

breathers (plural)

Derived Forms

airbreather firebreather interbreather multibreather phonobreather

Phrases

breather switch chest breather fire-breather mouth-breather mouth breather take a breather

Synonyms

hiatus moratorium recess snorkel schnorkel schnorchel snorkel breather breath breathing place breathing space breathing spell breathing time

Rhymes With

either neither

Questions

How do you pronounce breather?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈbɹiː.ðə(ɹ)/.
What does breather mean?: Something or someone that breathes.
Where does breather come from?: From breathe + -er (agent noun suffix) or + -er (relational noun suffix).

How to pronounce breather

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “breather”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈbɹiː.ðə(ɹ)/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “breather”.
Repeat and practice — Say “breather” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.