overpower

/əʊvəˈpaʊə/

//əʊvəˈpaʊə// verb

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

"overpower" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“overpower” has 13 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #35,005. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#35,005
frequency rank, English
1,431
“O” headwords
13
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To subdue someone by superior force.

Corpus desk

Index EN-overpower · overpower · English

overpower · rank #35,005 · 13 variants · 1 confusable

  • FREQ-MID #35,005
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 1 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 13 variants
  • BOOK-MID 1,431
  • PHOTO-FINISH Orville

Nearest frequency peer: Orville (-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 “overpower”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “overpower” 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).

overpower vs overpowered
82% similar

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

Key facts for overpower
PropertyValue
Headwordoverpower
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/əʊvəˈpaʊə/
Letters9
Frequency rank#35,005
Misspellings tracked13
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “overpower”

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

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “Orville” (#35,004), “omnipotent” (#35,002), “paedophile” (#35,008). Among 1,431 “O” headwords, “overpower” is #35,005. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 13 spelling variants around overpower (IPA /əʊvəˈpaʊə/), averb. Corpus frequency is #35,005 among 1,431 “O” headwords. Wiktionary lists 4 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

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

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. We overpowered the opposing army within a couple of hours.
  2. Amidst all the chaos, Großer Kurfürst slows up and strikes her colors, her crew having had enough, and have^([sic]) overpowered the officers - willing to fight, but not willing to commit suicide.

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.

oevrpower2oveprower2overopwer2overpoewr2overpowerr1overpowre2overpowwer1overppower1
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"?
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-Ind... 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 "overpower", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 9 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

oligarchy#35,000penniless#35,013plantings#35,018menagerie#34,982

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (13 here; floor ≥5).

predicate13 variantsMalayalam13 variantsrickshaw13 variantsrustling13 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list