# overhear

> English word · Verb · IPA /oʊ.vɚˈhɪɚ/ · frequency rank #44,389

## Definitions
1. To hear something that was not meant for one's ears.

## Etymology
From Middle English overheren, from Old English oferhīeran (“to overhear, hear, disobey, disregard, neglect”), equivalent to over- + hear. Cognate with Dutch overhoren (“to hear, hear about”), German überhören (“to not hear, ignore”), Danish overhøre (“to overhear”), Icelandic yfirheyra (“to hear”), Gothic *𐌿𐍆𐌰𐍂𐌷𐌰𐌿𐍃𐌾𐌰𐌽 (*ufarhausjan, “to disregard, disobey”) (in 𐌿𐍆𐌰𐍂𐌷𐌰𐌿𐍃𐌴𐌹𐌽𐍃 (ufarhauseins)).

## Easily confused with
- **overseas** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/overhear-vs-overseas)
- **overseer** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/overhear-vs-overseer)
- **overheat** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/overhear-vs-overheat)
- **overheard** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/overhear-vs-overheard)
- **overhead** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/overhead-vs-overhear)

## Common misspellings (11)
`oevrhear`, `ovehrear`, `overehar`, `overhaer`, `overhearr`, `overhera`, `overhhear`, `overrhear`, `ovrehear`, `ovverhear`, `voerhear`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/overhear