override

/əʊ.vəˈɹaɪd/

//əʊ.vəˈɹaɪd// verb

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

"override" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“override” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #16,763 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#16,763
frequency rank, English
8
letters
9
tracked misspellings
5
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To ride across or beyond something.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

override vs overtime
75% similar
override vs overrule
75% similar
override vs oversize
75% similar

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

Key facts for override
PropertyValue
Headwordoverride
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/əʊ.vəˈɹaɪd/
Letters8
Frequency rank#16,763
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs5
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “override” 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). override lands here:

#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 override is 8 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /əʊ.vəˈɹaɪd/. Corpus data places it at rank #16,763 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 6 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for override, with forms such as "oevrride", "overide", and "overirde". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 5 confusable-pair relationships, "overtime", "overrule", "oversize", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English overriden, from Old English oferrīdan, equivalent to over- + ride. Cognate with Dutch overrijden, German überreiten, Danish override. The correct English form is override, spelled O-V-E-R-R-I-D-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To ride across or beyond something.
  2. 2
    To ride over the top of something, usually forcibly.
  3. 3
    To ride a horse too hard.
  4. 4
    To counteract the normal operation of something; to countermand with orders of higher priority.
  5. 5
    To give commands of a higher priority to an automated system; to take manual control of an automated system
  6. 6
    To define a new behaviour of a method by creating the same method of the superclass with the same name and signature.

Etymology

From Middle English overriden, from Old English oferrīdan, equivalent to over- + ride. Cognate with Dutch overrijden, German überreiten, Danish override.

This word in other languages

outrepasser(Français)übersteuern(Deutsch)sobrepor(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: oevrride,overide,overirde,overrdie,overridde,overried,ovreride,ovverride,voerride

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

oevrride2overide1overirde2overrdie2overridde1overried2ovreride2ovverride1
Edit distance from "override"

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 "override"?
"override" is spelled O-V-E-R-R-I-D-E. The IPA pronunciation is /əʊ.vəˈɹaɪd/.
What does "override" mean?
As a verb, "override" means: To ride across or beyond something.
What words are commonly confused with "override"?
"override" is commonly confused with "overtime", "overrule", "oversize". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "override"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "override" is /əʊ.vəˈɹaɪd/. 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 "override"?
From Middle English overriden, from Old English oferrīdan, equivalent to over- + ride. Cognate with Dutch overrijden, German überreiten, Danish override. 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.

Using “override”

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

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

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list