respite vs breather

respite and breather both are nouns.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
respite	Yes	No	Yes	No
breather	Yes	No	No	No

As nouns, breather is a hyponym of respite; that is, breather is a word with a more specific, narrower meaning than respite:

Other hyponyms of respite include breath, breathing place, breathing space, breathing spell, breathing time.

respite (noun)	breather (noun)
a pause from doing something (as work)	air passage provided by a retractable device containing intake and exhaust pipes; permits a submarine to stay submerged for extended periods of time
the act of reprieving; postponing or remitting punishment	a short respite
an interruption in the intensity or amount of something
a (temporary) relief from harm or discomfort
a pause for relaxation

respite (verb)	breather (verb)
postpone the punishment of a convicted criminal, such as an execution