overtake
o·ver·take/oʊ̯vɚˈteɪ̯k/verb, noun
overtake is spelled O-V-E-R-T-A-K-E: 8 letters and 3 syllables (o·ver·take). It appears 2.0 times per million words in written English, the 19,589th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a verb, overtake means “To pass a slower moving object or entity (on the side closest to oncoming traffic)” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in overtake?
| Letters | 8: O-V-E-R-T-A-K-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3: o·ver·take |
| In writing | 2.0 times per million words; the 19,589th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with | |
| Same letters |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is overtake?
Overtake appears 2.0 times per million words in written English, the 19,589th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce overtake?
- UK /əʊ̯vəːˈteɪ̯k/
- US /oʊ̯vɚˈteɪ̯k/
As a noun (“An act of overtaking; an overtaking maneuver”): /ˈəʊ̯vəːteɪ̯k/, /ˈoʊ̯vɚteɪ̯k/.
Overtake has 3 syllables, split o·ver·take in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-overtake.wav, En-us-overtake.ogg, LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-overtake2.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with overtake?
The 12 most written words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as overtake from its last stressed vowel (/eɪk/):
Spelled with the same letters in another order: takeover.
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of overtake
- overtakes present, singular, he/she/it, plural
- overtaking participle, present
- overtook past
- overtaken participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does overtake mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
verb
- 1
To pass a slower moving object or entity (on the side closest to oncoming traffic).
The racehorse overtook the lead pack on the last turn.
- 2
To become greater than something else in quantity, worth, etc.
Grocery sales in the north have overtaken those in the south.
- 3
To take by surprise; surprise and overcome; carry away.
Our plans were overtaken by events.
noun
- 1
An act of overtaking; an overtaking maneuver.
There wasn't enough distance left before the bend for an overtake, so I had to trundle behind the tractor for another mile.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Overtake in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | dépasser, doubler , surprendre |
| German | überholen , überraschen, überrumpeln , aufholen |
| Portuguese | ultrapassar |
| Spanish | rebasar, adelantar, gabelar |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does overtake come from?
From Middle English overtaken, likely a replacement alteration (as the Middle English verb taken replaced nimen (“to take”)), of Middle English overnimen (“to overtake”), from Old English oferniman (“to take by surprise, overtake”), equivalent to over- + take.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).