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PlainSpell

over

o·verUK /ˈəʊ̯.və/adjective, adverb, noun, preposition, interjection

over is spelled O-V-E-R: 4 letters and 2 syllables (o·ver). It appears 1,202 times per million words in written English, the 90th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, over means “Finished; ended; concluded” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).

How many letters and syllables are in over?

Letters4: O-V-E-R
Syllables2: o·ver
In writing1,202 times per million words; the 90th most frequent word form
Wrong spellings searchednone measured in search
Rhymes with
Same letters

Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.

How common is over?

Over appears 1,202 times per million words in written English, the 90th most frequent word form in the list.

Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).

How do you pronounce over?

  • UK /ˈəʊ̯.və/
  • /ˈaʊæː/
  • /ˈoː.və/

Over has 2 syllables, split o·ver in writing.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-au-over.ogg, En-us-over.ogg, LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-over-.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).

Words people confuse with over

Also written: ore.

Sources: English Wiktionary (homophones, alternative spellings).

What rhymes with over?

2 words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as over from its last stressed vowel (/əʊvə/, British pronunciation):

Spelled with the same letters in another order: rove, vore.

Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).

Forms of over

  • o'er
  • ower
  • ouer
  • ovuh
  • overs plural, present, singular, he/she/it
  • overing participle, present
  • overed participle, past

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

What does over mean?

The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).

adjective

  1. 1

    Finished; ended; concluded.

    The show isn't over until the fat lady sings.

  2. 2

    Of a flower: wilting or withering.

  3. 3

    informalHopeless; irrecoverable.

    We're keeping our marriage going for the sake of the kids, but really it's over.

  4. 4

    informalVisiting one's home or other location.

    My sister's over for the week.

  5. 5

    Having surmounted an obstacle.

    The horse struggled at that fence, but it's over.

  6. 6

    informalHaving an excess in a particular respect.

    This steak is well over. (overcooked)

  7. 7

    Surplus to requirements.

    I made 20 cakes, but I only need 18, so there are two over.

  8. 8

    slangOf a wrestler: generating a reaction from fans.

adverb

  1. 1

    From one position or location to another, horizontally or approximately so, or along a route visualised as "across".

    That vase isn't exactly central. Could you move it over a couple of inches?

  2. 2

    Across from one side of something to the other.

    I need to cross the river. Can you take me over in your boat?

  3. 3

    So as to pass above.

    I looked up just as a helicopter flew over.

  4. 4

    Up one side of something, across, and then down the other side.

    The fence is too high. I don't think I'll be able to get over.

  5. 5

    Across something, such as an edge, and then downwards.

    The car rolled to the edge of the cliff and went straight over.

  6. 6

    From an upright position to a horizontal one.

    He tipped the bottle over, and the water came gushing out.

  7. 7

    So as to fold towards or onto itself.

    Bend the end of that wire over to make a hook.

  8. 8

    On top of something, or so as to cover something.

    Paint it over with a darker colour.

noun

  1. 1

    A set of six legal balls bowled.

    Jones hit four boundaries in the first over.

  2. 2

    Any surplus amount of money, goods delivered, etc.

  3. 3

    informalSomething having an excess of a particular property.

    I went fishing but caught mostly overs.

  4. 4

    A bet that a particular sporting statistic, such as points scored in a game, will be above a certain stated value.

  5. 5

    obsoleterareA shore, riverbank.

    The sea's over.

preposition

  1. 1

    Above; higher than; further up than.

    Hold the sign up over your head.

  2. 2

    Across, from one side to the other.

    The guide took us over the border.

  3. 3

    Across, so as to pass above.

    The vulture flew over the desert.

  4. 4

    Through or around all the parts of.

    The estate agent showed me over the property.

  5. 5

    On the other side of.

    He lives over the road from me.

  6. 6

    informalAt or near (a location seen as 'across' from the speaker's location).

    There was a big fire over the other side of town.

  7. 7

    From one physical position to another via an obstacle that must be traversed vertically, first upwards and then downwards.

    The dog jumped over the fence.

  8. 8

    Across (something) and then downwards.

    The car drove straight over the edge of the cliff.

interjection

  1. 1

    A radio procedure word meaning that the station is finished with its transmission and is expecting a response.

    Bravo Six, this is Bravo Six Four. Stand by for ten mike report one dash three, over.

  2. 2

    Instructs the reader to turn the page and continue reading the other side.

  3. 3

    obsoleteslangEllipsis of over the left shoulder (“expressing disbelief etc.”).

verb

  1. 1

    UKobsoleteTo go over, or jump over.

    He overed the fence in good style.

  2. 2

    UKobsoleteTo run about.

    The cattle have been overing all day because of the flies.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

How do you abbreviate over?

Wiktionary records 2 abbreviations of over: K, o.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

Over in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese

LanguageWords
Frenchfini, terminé (ended), trop, sur- (to an excessive degree), encore, re- (again)
Germanvorbei (ended), über (physical positioning: on top of; above), durch (math: divided by), Schluss, kommen (end of sentence in radio communication), über- (above or higher)
Portugueseterminado, acabado, concluído (ended), de novo (again), sobre (physical positioning: on top of; above), a (by comparison: more than; to a greater degree)
Spanishterminado, acabado (ended), sobre (physical positioning: on top of; above), cambio (end of sentence in radio communication), a, más que (by comparison: more than; to a greater degree)

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.

Where does over come from?

From Middle English over, from Old English ofer, ofor, ouer, from Proto-West Germanic *obar, from Proto-Germanic *uber (“over”), from Proto-Indo-European *upér (“above; over”).

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

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