overlap

/ˌəʊvəˈlæp/

//ˌəʊvəˈlæp// verb

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

"overlap" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“overlap” has 10 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #11,259. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#11,259
frequency rank, English
1,431
“O” headwords
10
tracked misspellings
7
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To extend over and partly cover something.

Corpus desk

Index EN-overlap · overlap · English

overlap · rank #11,259 · 10 variants · 7 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #11,259
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 7 pairs
  • VAR-MID 10 variants
  • BOOK-MID 1,431
  • PHOTO-FINISH oracle

Nearest frequency peer: oracle (-1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “overlap”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “overlap” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

overlap vs overly
71% similar
overlap vs oversaw
71% similar
overlap vs overlay
86% similar

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

Key facts for overlap
PropertyValue
Headwordoverlap
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˌəʊvəˈlæp/
Letters7
Frequency rank#11,259
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs7
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “overlap”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).overlaplands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “oracle” (#11,258), “offender” (#11,257), “PD” (#11,261). Among 1,431 “O” headwords, “overlap” is #11,259. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 10 spelling variants around overlap (IPA /ˌəʊvəˈlæp/), averb. Corpus frequency is #11,259 among 1,431 “O” headwords. Wiktionary lists 6 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for overlap, with forms such as "oevrlap", "ovelrap", and "overalp". 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 7 confusable-pair relationships, "overly", "oversaw", "overlay", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From over- + lap. Cognate with Dutch overlap. The correct English form is overlap, spelled O-V-E-R-L-A-P.

Definition

  1. 1
    To extend over and partly cover something.
  2. 2
    To co-occur, to happen at the same time.
  3. 3
    To have an area, range, character or function in common.
  4. 4
    Of sets: to have some elements in common.
  5. 5
    To have some similar nucleotide sequences.
  6. 6
    An illusion of depth is created when one object partially covers another.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how overlap appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. The mouse-mat overlapped the edge of the desk.
  2. The two maps overlapped at the east and west edges.

Etymology

From over- + lap. Cognate with Dutch overlap.

This word in other languages

solapar(Español)chevaucher(Français)überlappen(Deutsch)sobrepor(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • oevrlap
  • ovelrap
  • overalp
  • overlapp
  • overllap
  • overlpa
  • overrlap
  • ovrelap
  • ovverlap
  • voerlap

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of overlap - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

oevrlap2ovelrap2overalp2overlapp1overllap1overlpa2overrlap1ovrelap2
Edit distance from "overlap"

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 "overlap"?
"overlap" is spelled O-V-E-R-L-A-P. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌəʊvəˈlæp/.
What does "overlap" mean?
As a verb, "overlap" means: To extend over and partly cover something.
What words are commonly confused with "overlap"?
"overlap" is commonly confused with "overly", "oversaw", "overlay". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "overlap"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "overlap" is /ˌəʊvəˈlæp/. 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 "overlap"?
From over- + lap. Cognate with Dutch overlap. 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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "overlap", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

noodles#11,256needles#11,255modules#11,252Pokémon#11,266

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (10 here; floor ≥5).

offender10 variantsmillennium10 variantsmanually10 variantsleaking10 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list