turn over

verb

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

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

The verdict

“turn over” is outside the top-ranked English vocabulary, used as a verb - the kind of word writers most often double-check.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
9
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To flip over; to rotate uppermost to bottom.

Key facts for turn over
PropertyValue
Headwordturn over
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
Letters9
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “turn over” sits in English frequency

turn over falls outside the top-100,000 ranked English words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for turn over is 9 letters long, classified as a verb. It sits outside the most-frequent rank tiers, which is often why uncommon words generate more spelling variants per reader. Wiktionary records 10 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for turn over, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From turn + over. The correct English form is turn over, spelled T-U-R-N- -O-V-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    To flip over; to rotate uppermost to bottom.
  2. 2
    To relinquish; give back.
  3. 3
    To transfer.
  4. 4
    To produce, complete, or cycle through.
  5. 5
    To generate (a certain amount of money from sales).
  6. 6
    To mull, ponder
  7. 7
    To spin the crankshaft of an internal combustion engine using the starter or hand crank in an attempt to make it run.
  8. 8
    To give up control (of the ball and thus the ability to score).
  9. 9
    To cause extensive disturbance or disruption to (a room, storage place, etc.), e.g. while searching for an item, or ransacking a property.
  10. 10
    Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see turn, over.

Etymology

From turn + over.

This word in other languages

retourner(Français)umdrehen(Deutsch)inverter(Português)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "turn over"?
"turn over" is spelled T-U-R-N- -O-V-E-R.
What does "turn over" mean?
As a verb, "turn over" means: To flip over; to rotate uppermost to bottom.
What is the origin of the word "turn over"?
From turn + over. 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 “turn over”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is T-U-R-N- -O-V-E-R - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • 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