overpower

Name: overpower, English Word Data
Creator: Wiktionary
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

/əʊvəˈpaʊə/

//əʊvəˈpaʊə// verb

By PlainSpell Editorial Team · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) · analyzed May 6, 2026

The verdict

“overpower” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #35,005 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#35,005
frequency rank, English: 9
letters: 13
tracked misspellings: 1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To subdue someone by superior force.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

overpower vs overpowered

82% similar

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

Key facts for overpower
Property	Value
Headword	overpower
Language	English
Part of speech	Verb
IPA	/əʊvəˈpaʊə/
Letters	9
Frequency rank	#35,005
Misspellings tracked	13
Confusable pairs	1
Source	Wiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “overpower” 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). overpower lands here:

#35,005

#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 overpower is 9 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /əʊvəˈpaʊə/. Corpus data places it at rank #35,005 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 4 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 13 likely wrong-spelling variants for overpower, with forms such as "oevrpower", "oveprower", and "overopwer". 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 1 confusable-pair relationship, "overpowered", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *úp Proto-Indo-European *-er Proto-Indo-European *upér Proto-Germanic *uber Old English ofer- Middle English over- English over- Proto-Indo-European *pótis Proto-Italic *potis Proto-Indo-European *h₁es- Proto-Indo-European… The correct English form is overpower, spelled O-V-E-R-P-O-W-E-R.

Definition

1
To subdue someone by superior force.
2
To excel or exceed in power; to cause to yield; to subdue.
3
To render imperceptible by means of greater strength, intensity, etc.
4
To make excessively powerful.

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *úp Proto-Indo-European *-er Proto-Indo-European *upér Proto-Germanic *uber Old English ofer- Middle English over- English over- Proto-Indo-European *pótis Proto-Italic *potis Proto-Indo-European *h₁es- Proto-Indo-European *h₁ésmi Proto-Indo-European *bʰuH- Proto-Indo-European *bʰúHt Proto-Italic *som Proto-Italic *possom Latin posseder. Vulgar Latin potēre Old French pooir Anglo-Norman poerbor. Middle English power English power English overpower From over- + power.

This word in other languages

dominar(Español)soumettre(Français)überwältigen(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: oevrpower,oveprower,overopwer,overpoewr,overpowerr,overpowre,overpowwer,overppower,overpwoer,overrpower,ovrepower,ovverpower,voerpower

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of overpower - 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.

Edit distance from "overpower"

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 "overpower"?

"overpower" is spelled O-V-E-R-P-O-W-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is /əʊvəˈpaʊə/.

What does "overpower" mean?

As a verb, "overpower" means: To subdue someone by superior force.

What words are commonly confused with "overpower"?

"overpower" is commonly confused with "overpowered". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.

How do you pronounce "overpower"?

The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "overpower" is /əʊvəˈpaʊə/. 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 "overpower"?

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 “overpower”

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

The one correct English spelling is O-V-E-R-P-O-W-E-R - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
Say it as /əʊvəˈpaʊə/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
Don't mix it up with “overpowered” - see the side-by-side comparison. overpower vs overpowered
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.