overcome

/ˌəʊ.vəˈkʌm/

//ˌəʊ.vəˈkʌm// verb

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"overcome" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“overcome” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #4,545 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#4,545
frequency rank, English
8
letters
11
tracked misspellings
5
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To surmount (a physical or abstract obstacle); to prevail over, to get the better of.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

overcome vs overtime
75% similar
overcome vs overdose
75% similar
overcome vs overdone
75% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for overcome
PropertyValue
Headwordovercome
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˌəʊ.vəˈkʌm/
Letters8
Frequency rank#4,545
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs5
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “overcome” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). overcome lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for overcome is 8 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˌəʊ.vəˈkʌm/. Corpus data places it at rank #4,545 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 6 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for overcome, with forms such as "oevrcome", "ovecrome", and "overccome". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 5 confusable-pair relationships, "overtime", "overdose", "overdone", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: Inherited from Middle English overcomen, inherited from Old English ofercuman (“to overcome, subdue, compel, conquer, obtain, attain, reach, overtake”). By surface analysis, over- + come. Cognate with Dutch overkomen, German überkommen, Danish overkomme, Sw… The correct English form is overcome, spelled O-V-E-R-C-O-M-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To surmount (a physical or abstract obstacle); to prevail over, to get the better of.
  2. 2
    To prevail.
  3. 3
    To recover from (a difficulty), to get over.
  4. 4
    To win against or prevail over in some sort of battle, contest, etc.
  5. 5
    To come or pass over; to spread over.
  6. 6
    To overflow; to surcharge.

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English overcomen, inherited from Old English ofercuman (“to overcome, subdue, compel, conquer, obtain, attain, reach, overtake”). By surface analysis, over- + come. Cognate with Dutch overkomen, German überkommen, Danish overkomme, Swedish överkomma.

This word in other languages

vencer(Español)vaincre(Français)überwinden(Deutsch)vencer(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: oevrcome,ovecrome,overccome,overcmoe,overcoem,overcomme,overocme,overrcome,ovrecome,ovvercome,voercome

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of overcome - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

oevrcome2ovecrome2overccome1overcmoe2overcoem2overcomme1overocme2overrcome1
Edit distance from "overcome"

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "overcome"?
"overcome" is spelled O-V-E-R-C-O-M-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌəʊ.vəˈkʌm/.
What does "overcome" mean?
As a verb, "overcome" means: To surmount (a physical or abstract obstacle); to prevail over, to get the better of.
What words are commonly confused with "overcome"?
"overcome" is commonly confused with "overtime", "overdose", "overdone". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "overcome"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "overcome" is /ˌəʊ.vəˈkʌm/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "overcome"?
Inherited from Middle English overcomen, inherited from Old English ofercuman (“to overcome, subdue, compel, conquer, obtain, attain, reach, overtake”). By surface analysis, over- + come. Cognate with Dutch overkomen, German überkommen, Danish ove... See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “overcome”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is O-V-E-R-C-O-M-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˌəʊ.vəˈkʌm/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “overtime” - see the side-by-side comparison. overcome vs overtime
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list