@Quasit - because "breath" looks like it should be pronounced "bree-TH" (brēᴛʜ) - the e and the a do a "when two vowels go walking the first does the talking" sort of thing.

[tinker@infosec.exchange]

@Quasit - because "breath" looks like it should be pronounced "bree-TH" (brēᴛʜ) - the e and the a do a "when two vowels go walking the first does the talking" sort of thing.

And "breathe" with the extra "e" at the end doesnt look like it would make a long vowel sound like e's normally would - because there is an "e" and an "a", so which is the long vowel? Instead it looks like it softens the "th" and makes it a (brĕth) sound.

Also breathe looks like breadth so you get that brĕ sound again.