How to pronounce breathing
Say it like BREE-thing. Breathing has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (BREE).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce breathing. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- BREE
- thing
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Breathing pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- BREESay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ee" in see.
- thingKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
American vs British pronunciation of breathing
American and British speakers say breathing in essentially the same way: /ˈbriðɪŋ/ in the US and /ˈbriːðɪŋ/ in the UK.
British respelling: BREE-thing.
What does breathing mean?
- the bodily process of inhalation and exhalation; the process of taking in oxygen from inhaled air and releasing carbon dioxide by exhalation
- passing or able to pass air in and out of the lungs normally; sometimes used in combination“the boy was disappointed to find only skeletons instead of living breathing dinosaurs”“the heavy-breathing person on the telephone”
Where does breathing come from?
From breathe + -ing.
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Opposite meaning
Words that rhyme with breathing
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of breathing.
Questions about saying breathing
How do you pronounce breathing?
Say BREE-thing. The American pronunciation is /ˈbriðɪŋ/. In British English it is /ˈbriːðɪŋ/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in breathing?
Breathing has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (BREE). Broken into parts: BREE · thing.
Do Americans and Brits say breathing the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˈbriðɪŋ/ and the British form is /ˈbriːðɪŋ/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.