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
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

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 spotóscíllâted swung

ócelót

óchê *ócky, cf. hóckey

ôchre *ôker; AmE -er

Ôchs Phil = ôaks trees = Ôaks = Ôakes

óctagon

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; weak form *əv = weakest form of háve = 've (e.g. incorrectly spelt "I mite of gone" for Î mîght have góne = Î mîght've góne; mîte small = mîght perhaps)

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

ÔK = ôkây (but not "ok") = 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

òne-óff *wunóff

ònes plural = òne's possessive *wúnz

òneself one word, wú-, cf. òne's sélf-ímage etc.

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 in Portuguese)

oppônent

opportûnity *óppərtyûnity

oppréss

oppûgn -ûne

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 swingócelót cat

óscíllated swungócellâted 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 -əd

óxîde

óxidise, óxidîze

óxy- = óxi- = ócci-

óxygen

O’Brîen cf. Brîan