English spellings/Catalogs/O
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A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z | |
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Use in English | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Alphabetical word list | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Retroalphabetical list | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Common misspellings |
This page lists pronunciations of English words that begin with O. To see a different letter navigate with the table above. The apostrophe is treated as the last letter of the alphabet, after Z.
For a pronunciation key, click on the blue "Catalogs" link below the article title.[e]
Ô letter = ôh exclamation = ôwe debt
ŏar boat = ŏr alternative = ŏre metal
oâsis *ô-wâyssís
obêdience
obèisance, AmE also -ê-
obèy
oblìque -lêek
objéction no = abjéction down
obscêne
obscénity
obsêquious
óbsolête
obsoléscence
óbstacle
occâsionally
ócci- = óxy-
occidéntal *óxídéntəl cf. accidéntal (minimal pair)
Óccitan *Óxítən
óccult BrE; AmE occúlt
occür
occürred, occürring: two r’s (cf. cûred, cûring)
occúrrence BrE; AmE occürrence
ôcean *ôtion, *ôshən
ócellâted spot ≈ óscíllâted swung
ócelót
óchê *ócky, cf. hóckey
ôchre *ôker; AmE -er
Ôchs Phil = ôaks trees = Ôaks = Ôakes
óctagon
Octôber
óctopus
ódds-ón adjective, as in ódds-ón fâvourite, hyphen required
ôdious
ôdium
ôdorous
ódyssey
Oêdipus BrE; AmE Ê-
oêstrogen BrE; AmE ê-
öeuvre *ëvra
óf *óv; but much more common as the weak form *əv = weakest form of háve = 've (e.g. incorrectly spelt "I might of gone" for Î mîght have góne = Î mîght've góne)
offénce BrE; AmE offénse
óffal *óffle
offénsive
óffputting one word
óffshoot one word, no hyphen
óffspring one word
óft- in normal usage connected by a hyphen to a following participle
óften *óffen; though some pronounce the t
ógham, or = ôhm; also *ôwəm
ôgre
ÔK = ôkây (but "ok" is not okay) = Okèh Records
Oklahôma Ôak-
ôld normal = ôlde jocular, old-fashioned = Ôld person
ôld-fáshioned
Óliver, cf. Tólliver
Olýmpic
Omagh *Ômə
Ômaha
ômega
ómelette, ómelet *ómlit, cf. hámlet, Hámlet
omérta
ómicrón
omnípotent
omníscience
omníscient
ón has the French spelling en in the expressions en másse and en roûte
ón bŏard is two words, except as an attributive adjective (ónboard môtor)
òne single = wòn game, cf. ôwn possess
òne-óff *wunóff
ònes plural (thêse are the bést ònes) = òne's possessive, is (òne's clôthes gét dïrty; òne's gót to thínk of onesélf) *wúnz
onesélf one word, wú-, cf. òne's sélf-ímage
óngôing one word
ònion *únyon, cf. Cányon
onlîne connected one word
ónlooker one word
*ón roûte: en roûte
ónslåught
Ontãrio
ón to *óntû or *óntə: two words, even though ínto is one, and "onto" is common on the Internet
ónyx (some say ônyx)
oòps
Ŏort clòud
oôhs and aàhs *oôz-ən(d)àz
oôze liquid = Oûse River = oôhs aahs
ôpal = Ôpel
óp-éd (short for 'opposite the editorial page')
ópera makes a minimal pair with Ôprah
óperate
ophthalmólogist ófth- or ópth-
opínion
Opŏrto is not usual nowadays for the Portuguese city, which, probably as a result of its football team's fame, has become known by its native name, Pŏrto (final o as oô in Portuguese)
oppônent
opportûnity *óppərtyûnity
oppréss
oppûgn -ûne
óptical
optimístic
ópt-òut noun hyphenated
Ôpus Dèì
ŏr instead = ŏre metal = ŏar boat = Ŏrr person; BrE = åwe amaze
ŏral voice = åural ear: sometimes, to distinguish it, the second is pronounced àùral *òwral
órange *óringe
oráng-utan
orâte
órator BrE, AmE ŏr-
ŏrchestrate ŏrk-
ŏrchid *ŏrkid, cf. ŏrchard, ch sound
ŏrdnance weapons cf. ŏrdinance decree
ŏrient
órifíce BrE, AmE ŏrifíce
órigin BrE, AmE ŏrigin
oríginal
Orîon
*ŏrtha- no words begin like this
ŏrthodox
óscíllate swing ≈ ócelót cat
óscíllated swung ≈ ócellâted spot
Óslo -z-
ósprêy or ósprèy
*ostérity austérity
Otàgo
òtherwise one word
ou- before a vowel = w (from French, where w traditionally = v)
Ouagadoûgou *Wágadûgu
Ouàttàrà (stressed syllable varies; also, *Wóttara)
oûd
ŏught *åwt
ouìja-bŏard wì-
Ôulu
òur us = hòur time; in rapid speech = àre is
Oûse River = oôze liquid
òut meaning outside is a separate word, but it must be joined to a following word when it means more, as in some of the following examples:
outdo *òutdoô, one word
òutlåw one word
òutrîght one word
outsîde one word
outsmàrt one word
ôva ovum = BrE ôver top, finish
òven
ôver meaning above is a separate word (ôver mŷ héad), but it must be joined to a following word when it means too much, as it does in many of the following examples:
overbürdened one word
overcòme one word
overdûe one word
ôverload one word
overlôaded one word
overnîght *ôver-nîte, one word
overrâte judge, one word, no hyphen, as in overrâted, ≈ overâte or *overét overeat; cf. ôver râte cricket: rate of overs two words
overreáct *ôverêáct, one word
overrîde one word
overrûle one word
oversêas abroad = oversêes inspects
overshádow one word
overstrétched
ovërt - ô-
overthrôw one word
ôvertîme work, cf. ôver tîme eventually
ôwe debt = ôh exclamation = Ô letter
Ôwen = Eôín
ôwn cf. òne = wòn
óxbow
Óxford BrE -əd
óxîde
óxidise, óxidîze
óxy- = óxi- = ócci-
óxygen
o' of = a an, schwa
Ô'-, beginning names, is not followed by a space
O'Brîen cf. Brîan