air and atmosphere share a recorded sense, so the question is not what they mean but which one fits. air means “a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of”. atmosphere means “a particular environment or surrounding influence”. air is the more common of the two in everyday English.
/ˈɛɹ/
1.n.a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of
“air pollution”
2.n.the region above the ground
“her hand stopped in mid air”
3.n.a distinctive but intangible quality surrounding a person or thing
“an air of mystery”
| air | atmosphere | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ˈɛɹ/ | /ˈætməˌsfɪɹ/ |
| Said | er | AT-muh-sfir |
| Syllables | 1 | 3 |
| Letters | 3 | 10 |
| Parts of speech | noun, verb | noun |
| Senses | 15 | 6 |
| How common | Core | Common |
| Synonyms | none recorded | ambiance, ambience |
Full entry for air · Full entry for atmosphere · More comparisons
/ˈætməˌsfɪɹ/
1.n.a particular environment or surrounding influence
“there was an atmosphere of excitement”
2.n.a unit of pressure: the pressure that will support a column of mercury 760 mm high at sea level and 0 degrees centigrade
3.n.the mass of air surrounding the Earth
“there was great heat as the comet entered the atmosphere”