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overhead

/ˈəʊvəˌhɛd/adjective, noun, adverb, preposition

overhead is spelled O-V-E-R-H-E-A-D: 8 letters and 3 syllables. It appears 8.5 times per million words in written English, the 7,910th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, overhead means “Located above, especially over the head” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).

How many letters and syllables are in overhead?

Letters8: O-V-E-R-H-E-A-D
Syllables3 (from its American pronunciation)
In writing8.5 times per million words; the 7,910th most frequent word form
Wrong spellings searchednone measured in search

Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).

How common is overhead?

Overhead appears 8.5 times per million words in written English, the 7,910th 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 overhead?

  • /ˈəʊvəˌhɛd/
  • /ˈoʊvɚˌhɛd/

As an adverb (“Above one's head; in the sky”): /ˌəʊvəˈhɛd/, /ˌoʊvɚˈhɛd/.

Overhead has 3 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).

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

Forms of overhead

  • more overhead comparative
  • most overhead superlative
  • overheads plural

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

What does overhead mean?

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

adjective

  1. 1

    Located above, especially over the head.

    Place your luggage in the overhead lockers.

  2. 2

    Kicked over one's own head.

noun

  1. 1

    The expense of a business not directly assigned to goods or services provided.

  2. 2

    The items or classes of expense not directly assigned to goods or services provided.

  3. 3

    Any cost or expenditure (monetary, time, effort or otherwise) incurred in a project or activity, which does not directly contribute to its progress or outcome.

  4. 4

    Wasted money.

  5. 5

    A smash.

  6. 6

    The ceiling of any enclosed space below decks in a vessel.

  7. 7

    A compartment above the seats for stowing luggage in a passenger aircraft.

  8. 8

    The system of overhead wires used to power electric transport, such as streetcars, trains, or buses.

  9. 9

    An overhead projector.

  10. 10

    A sheet of transparent material with an image used with an overhead projector; an overhead transparency.

adverb

  1. 1

    Above one's head; in the sky.

    birds flying overhead

  2. 2

    archaicPer head; for each individual.

preposition

  1. 1

    Above.

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

How do you abbreviate overhead?

Wiktionary records one abbreviation of overhead: ovhd.

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

Overhead in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese

LanguageWords
Germandarüber, oben, Überkopf- (located above), allgemeine Unkosten (expense of a business not directly assigned to…), Mehraufwand (any cost or expenditure (monetary, time, effort…), vergeudetes Geld (wasted money)
Spanishde arriba (located above), gastos generales (expense of a business not directly assigned to…), de gastos generales (of, or relating to the operating expenses of a…), cableado/cablerío elevado, cablería de arriba (system of overhead wires used to power electric…), en lo alto (above one's head)
Frenchfrais généraux (expense of a business not directly assigned to…)
Portugueseoverhead (expense of a business not directly assigned to…)

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 overhead come from?

From Middle English owerheved, over-hed, over hede (adverb), from Old English oferhēafod (adverb), equivalent to over- + head. Compare German Low German overhoopt, överhoopt, German überhaupt. Piecewise doublet of overchief.

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

What to look up after overhead