English spellings/Catalogs/O
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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
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 spot ≈ óscíllâted swung
ócelót
óchê *ócky, cf. hóckey
ôchre *ôker; AmE -er
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
offénce BrE; AmE offénse
óffal *óffle
offénsive
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
ÔK (upper case) = ôkây (lower case) acceptable = Okèh Records
Oklahôma Ôak-
ôld normal = ôlde jocular, old-fashioned = Ôld person
ôld-fáshioned
Óliver, cf. Tólliver
Olýmpic
Omagh *Ômə
ômega
ómelette, ómelet *ómlit, cf. hámlet, Hámlet
omérta
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
ònes plural = òne´s possessive *wúnz
òneself one word, wú-
óngôing one word
ònion *únyon, cf. Cányon
onlîne connected one word
ónlooker one word
ónslåught
Ontãrio
ón to *óntû or *óntə: two words, even though ínto is one
ónyx or ônyx
oòps
Ŏort clòud
oôze liquid = Oûse River
ôpal = Ôpel
óp-éd (short for 'opposite the editorial page')
óperate
ophthalmólogist ófth- or ópth-
opínion
oppônent
opportûnity *óppərtyûnity
oppréss
oppûgn -ûne
optimístic
ópt-òut noun hyphenated
ŏr instead = ŏre metal = ŏar boat = Ŏrr person
ŏral voice = åural ear: sometimes, to distinguish it, the second is pronounced àùral
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
ósprêy or ósprèy
òther spŏrts: the BBC's use of a hyphen in this phrase on their World News channel's ticker is (of course) incorrect and probably dictated by computer behaviour
òtherwise one word
Ouagadoûgou *Wágadûgu
ouìja-bŏard wì-
ŏught *åwt
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, but it must be joined to a following word when it means too much, as in some 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, 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
overshádow one word
ovërt - ô-
overthrôw one word
ôwe debt = ôh exclamation = Ô letter
óxbow
Óxford -əd
óxîde
óxidise, óxidîze
óxy- = óxi- = ócci-
óxygen
O’Brîen cf. Brîan