Pronunciation guide: IPA symbols, stress and word endings
Vowels
| iː | see | ɪ | sit | e / ɛ | bed | æ | cat |
| ɑː | father | ɒ | hot (UK) | ɔː | law | ʊ | put |
| uː | too | ʌ | cup | ɜː | bird | ə | about |
| eɪ | day | aɪ | my | ɔɪ | boy | aʊ | now |
| əʊ / oʊ | go (UK / US) | ɪə | near | eə | hair | ʊə | tour |
Consonants that look unusual
| θ | thin | ð | this | ʃ | she | ʒ | measure |
| tʃ | church | dʒ | judge | ŋ | sing | j | yes |
p b t d k g f v s z h m n l r w sound as in ordinary English spelling.
Marks
- ˈ main stress, before the stressed syllable: /ˈwɔːtə/ water · ˌ lighter (secondary) stress: /ˌʌndəˈstænd/ understand
- ː a long vowel · (r) an r said only in accents that pronounce it (most American, Scottish, Irish)
Common word endings
- -s / -es (plurals; he/she form of verbs): /s/ after voiceless sounds (cats), /z/ after voiced (dogs), /ɪz/ after s, z, sh, ch, j sounds (buses, watches). Spelling: -es after s, x, z, ch, sh; consonant + y → -ies (city → cities).
- -ed (past): /t/ after voiceless sounds (walked), /d/ after voiced (played), /ɪd/ after t or d (wanted). Spelling: love → loved, stop → stopped, carry → carried.
- -ing: make → making, run → running, see → seeing.
- Irregular: go, went, gone · be, was, been · see, saw, seen · man → men · child → children · mouse → mice.
- Older (King James) forms: -eth = -s (he loveth = he loves) · -est with “thou” (thou lovest) · spake = spoke.
English Dictionary · 107,383 entries · Sources & licences
O 2,636 entries
Page 1 of 14: O – obstruct
- O noun, numeral, particle, proper noun, adjectiveSomething shaped like the letter O.
- O level nounAlternative spelling of O-level.
- O'Brien proper nounA surname from Irish.
- O'Casey proper nounA surname from Irish.
- o'clock adverb(modifying a numeral, one to twelve) In conjunction with a numeral, indicates the time within a twelve-hour period (midnight to noon or noo…
- O'Connor proper nounA patrilineal surname from Irish.
- o'er adverb, preposition(literary) Contraction of over
- O'Flaherty proper nounA surname from Irish
- O'Hara proper nounA surname from Irish.
- O'Keeffe proper nounA surname from Irish.
- O'Neill proper nounA surname from Irish.
- O'Toole proper nounAn Irish surname.
- O.D. noun, verbAlternative form of OD.
- o.e.d. nounan unabridged dictionary constructed on historical principles
- O.K. adjectiveAlternative form of OK.
- oaf noun(derogatory) A person, especially a large male, who is clumsy or a simpleton.
- oafish adjectiveCharacteristic of or resembling an oaf; clumsy, stupid.
- Oahu proper nounThe third-largest island of Hawaii, included in the City and County of Honolulu.
- oak noun, adjective, verb(countable) A deciduous tree with distinctive deeply lobed leaves, acorns, and notably strong wood, typically of England and northeastern N…
- oak apple nounA spherical type of oak gall, produced by an oak gall wasp (tribe Cynipini).
- oak fern nounA fern of genus Gymnocarpium (syn. Thelypteris) which grows on trees, especially Gymnocarpium dryopteris.
- oak tree nounA tree of the genus Quercus, bearing acorns and having lobed leaves.
- oaken adjectiveMade from the wood of the oak tree. Also in metaphorical uses, suggesting robustness.
- Oakland proper nounA township in Ontario, Canada.
- Oakley proper nounA village and civil parish in Bedford borough, Bedfordshire (OS grid ref TL0153).
- oakum nounCoarse fibres separated by hackling from flax or hemp when preparing the latter for spinning.
- oar noun, verbA type of lever used to propel a boat, having a flat blade at one end and a handle at the other, and pivoted in a rowlock atop the gunwale,…
- oarfish nounA large, greatly elongated, type of fish of the family Regalecidae.
- oarlock noun(nautical) A usually U-shaped device attached to the gunwale of a rowboat to hold the oars in place while rowing.
- oarsman nounA person who rows a boat, either alone or with others.
- oarsmanship nounThe skill of rowing a boat.
- oarswoman nounA female oarsman.
- Oas proper nounA municipality of Albay, Philippines.
- oasis noun, proper nounA spring of fresh water, surrounded by a fertile region of vegetation, in a desert.
- oast noun(UK) A kiln for drying tobacco, malt and especially hops.
- oast house noun(UK) A building containing oasts, used in conjunction with hop harvesting.
- oat noun(uncountable) Widely cultivated cereal grass, typically Avena sativa.
- oatcake nounAny of many flat biscuits, or cakes, made from oatmeal.
- oaten adjective, proper nounOf, pertaining to, or made of oats.
- Oates proper nounA surname.
- oath noun, verbA solemn pledge or promise that invokes a deity, a ruler, or another entity (not necessarily present) to attest the truth of a statement or…
- oatmeal noun, adjectiveMeal made from rolled or round oats.
- oatmeal cookie noun(cocktails) A cocktail consisting of Irish cream, Goldschläger, and butterscotch schnapps.
- oaxaca proper noun, nounA city in Mexico.
- ob noun, proper noun(historical) a halfpenny
- Obadiah proper noun(biblical) A book of the Old Testament of the Bible, and of the Tanakh.
- obbligato noun(music) An obbligato section; a prominent countermelody, often written to be played or sung above the principal theme (in a higher pitch ra…
- obduracy nounThe state of being obdurate, intractable, or stubbornly inflexible.
- obdurate adjective, verbStubbornly persistent, generally in wrongdoing; refusing to reform or repent.
- obdurately adverbIn an obdurate manner; stubbornly, intractably or inflexibly.
- obeah noun, verbA form of folk magic, medicine or witchcraft originating in Africa and practised in parts of the Caribbean.
- obeche nounTriplochiton scleroxylon, a tropical tree of Africa.
- obechi nounlarge west African tree having large palmately lobed leaves and axillary cymose panicles of small white flowers and one-winged seeds; yield…
- Obed proper nounThe son of Ruth and Boaz, father of Jesse and grandfather of David, grandson of Naomi.
- obedience nounThe quality of being obedient.
- obedient adjective, nounWilling to comply with the commands, orders, or instructions of those in authority; biddable.
- obedient plant nounA flowering plant in the mint family, Physostegia virginiana, native to eastern North America and known for the way that individual flowers…
- obediently adverbIn an obedient manner.
- obeisance nounDemonstration of an obedient attitude, especially by bowing deeply; a deep bow which demonstrates such an attitude.
- obelion noun(anatomy) A craniometric point on the sagittal suture between the parietal foramina near the lambdoid suture.
- obelisk noun, verb(architecture) A tall, square, tapered, stone monolith topped with a pyramidal point, frequently used as a monument.
- oberson noun(Middle Ages) the king of the fairies and husband of Titania in medieval folklore
- obese adjective, nounExtremely overweight, especially: weighing more than 20% (for men) or 25% (for women) over their conventionally ideal weight determined by …
- obesity noun(pathology) The state of being obese.
- obey verb(transitive) To do as ordered by (a person, institution etc), to act according to the bidding of.
- obfuscate verb, adjectiveTo make dark; to overshadow.
- obfuscation noun(uncountable) The act or process of obfuscating, or obscuring the perception of something; the concept of concealing the meaning of a commu…
- obi noun, proper nounA sash worn with a kimono.
- obiism nounBelief in, or the practice of, the obeah superstitions and rites.
- obit noun(archaic) The death of a person.
- obiter dictum nounAn incidental remark; especially (law) a statement or remark in a court's judgment that is not essential to the disposition of the case.
- obituary noun, adjectiveA brief notice of a person's death, especially one published in a newspaper or other publication; also (obsolete), the section of a newspap…
- object noun, verbA thing that has physical existence but is not alive.
- object ball noun(snooker, billiards) The ball which the cue ball is intended to hit.
- object code noun(computing) The output of a compiler or assembler; it is not necessarily executable directly without linking to other modules
- object glass nounSynonym of objective (“part of a microscope, telescope, etc.”).
- object language noun(philosophy) A language or a part of a language that is used to speak about objects but not about sentences or propositions.
- object lesson nounA lesson taught (especially to young children) using a familiar or unusual object as a focus.
- object-oriented programming noun(programming) A programming paradigm that uses hierarchies of objects, instantiated from templates called classes, to design applications a…
- objectification nounThe act or process of objectifying something intangible.
- objectify verb(ambitransitive) To make (something, such as an abstract idea) possible to be perceived by the senses.
- objection noun, interjectionThe act of objecting.
- objectionable adjectiveArousing disapproval; worthy of objection; offensive.
- objectionableness nounThe quality of being objectionable.
- objectionably adverbIn an objectionable manner.
- objective adjective, nounOf or relating to a material object, actual existence or reality.
- objective case noun(grammar) the form of a noun or pronoun used as the object of a verb or a preposition.
- objective lens nounA lens or a system of lenses in a microscope or telescope that is located nearest to the object that is being viewed.
- objectively adverbIn an impartial, objective manner.
- objectiveness nounThe characteristic of being objective; neutrality.
- objectivity nounThe state of being objective, just, unbiased, and not influenced by irrational emotions or personal prejudices.
- objector nounA person who objects to something.
- objet d'art nounA work of art with some artistic merit.
- objurgate verb(transitive) To rebuke or scold strongly.
- objurgation noun(uncommon) A strong rebuke or scolding.
- oblanceolate adjective(botany, of leaves) Of a reversed lanceolate shape: attached to the stem by the pointed end, with the other end rounded.
- oblate noun, adjective, verb(Roman Catholicism) A person dedicated to a life of religion or monasticism, especially a member of an order without religious vows or a la…
- oblateness noun(uncountable) The state of being oblate
- oblation noun, proper nounThe offering of worship, thanks etc. to a deity.
- obligate verb, adjective, noun(transitive) To bind, compel, constrain, or oblige by a social, legal, or moral tie.
- obligated adjective(Canada, US, Scotland) Committed.
- obligation nounThe act of binding oneself by a social, legal, or moral tie to someone.
- obligational adjectivePertaining to, or in the nature of, obligation.
- obligato nounAlternative spelling of obbligato.
- obligatorily adverbIn an obligatory manner.
- obligatory adjectiveImposing obligation, legally, morally, or otherwise; binding; mandatory.
- oblige verb(transitive) To constrain someone by force or by social, moral or legal means.
- obliged adjectiveUnder an obligation to do something.
- obliger nounOne who, or that which, obliges.
- obliging adjective, nounHappy and ready to do favours for others.
- obligingly adverbIn an obliging manner; so as to oblige another; as a favour to another.
- obligingness nounThe quality of being obliging; the tendency to cater for the desires of others.
- oblique adjective, noun, verbNot erect or perpendicular; not parallel to, or at right angles from, the base.
- oblique angle noun(geometry) Any angle that is not a right angle or multiple of right angles.
- oblique case noun(grammar) Any noun case except the nominative case (and sometimes the vocative case), where the noun is the object of a verb or the object …
- oblique-angled adjectivehaving oblique angles
- obliquely adverbIn an oblique manner; sideways.
- obliqueness nounSynonym of obliquity.
- obliquity nounThe quality of being oblique in direction, deviating from the horizontal or vertical; or the angle created by such a deviation.
- obliterable adjectiveCapable of being obliterated.
- obliterate verb, adjectiveTo destroy (someone or something) completely, leaving no trace; to annihilate, to wipe out.
- obliterated adjectiveDestroyed; (loosely) broken beyond repair.
- obliteration nounThe total destruction of something.
- obliterator nounOne who obliterates.
- oblivion noun, verbThe state of forgetting completely, of being oblivious, unconscious, unaware, as when sleeping, drunk, or dead.
- oblivious adjective(usually with to or of) Lacking awareness; unmindful; unaware, unconscious of.
- obliviousness nounThe characteristic of being oblivious.
- oblong adjective, noun, verbHaving a length and width that are different; not square or circular.
- oblongness nounThe quality of being oblong in shape.
- obloquy nounAbusive language.
- obnoxious adjectiveExtremely offensive or unpleasant; very annoying, contemptible, or odious.
- obnoxiously adverbIn an obnoxious manner.
- obnoxiousness nounThe characteristic of being obnoxious.
- obnubilate adjective, verb(obsolete) Covered or darkened as with a cloud; overclouded; obscured.
- oboe noun(music) A soprano and melody wind instrument in the modern orchestra and wind ensemble. It is a smaller instrument and generally made of gr…
- oboe d'amore nounAn instrument of the oboe family, pitched in A below middle C.
- oboist noun(music) Someone who plays an oboe.
- obolus noun(Ancient Greece) A silver coin minted in Ancient Greece, valued at a sixth of a drachma.
- obovate adjective(botany, mycology) Shaped like an egg, with the broad extremity located away from the base.
- obscene adjective, verbOffensive to standards of decency or morality.
- obscenely adverbIn an obscene manner; vulgarly.
- obscenity noun(countable) Something that is obscene.
- obscurantism nounA state of opposition to human progress or enlightenment.
- obscurantist noun, adjectiveA practitioner of obscurantism; an obscurant.
- obscure adjective, verbDark, faint or indistinct.
- obscurely adverbIn an obscure manner.
- obscureness nounThe state or quality of being obscure.
- obscurity noun(literary) Darkness; the absence of light.
- obsequious adjectiveExcessively eager and attentive to please or to obey instructions; fawning, subservient, servile.
- obsequiously adverbIn an obsequious manner.
- obsequiousness nounThe quality of being obsequious; servile compliance.
- observable adjective, nounAble to be observed.
- observably adverb(degree) To a detectable degree, sufficient to be observed.
- observance nounThe practice of complying with a law, custom, command or rule.
- observant adjective, nounAlert and paying close attention; watchful.
- observantly adverbIn an observant manner.
- observation nounThe act of observing, and the fact of being observed (see observance)
- observation post nouna lookout or vantage point
- observation tower nouna structure used to view events from a long distance and to create a full 360 degree range of vision
- observational adjectiveRelating to observation, especially scientific observation.
- observatory nounA place where stars, planets and other celestial bodies are observed, usually through a telescope; also place for observing meteorological …
- observe verb, noun(transitive) To notice or view, especially carefully or with attention to detail.
- observed adjective(of a holiday) Exceptionally celebrated on a date other than the usual date.
- observer nounOne who makes observations, monitors or takes notice.
- observing noun, adjectiveobservation
- observingly adverbAttentively, observantly.
- obsess verb(passive voice, constructed with "with") To be preoccupied with a single topic or emotion.
- obsessed adjectiveIntensely preoccupied with or by a given topic or emotion; driven by a specified obsession.
- obsession noun(uncountable) The quality of being obsessed; an unshakeable feeling that one topic or activity must be pursued above other interests.
- obsessional adjectiveMarked by obsession
- obsessionally adverbIn an obsessional manner.
- obsessive adjective, nounProne to cause obsession.
- obsessive-compulsive adjectiveCharacterized by obsessions and compulsions, especially by the need to perform repetitive tasks.
- obsessive-compulsive disorder noun(medicine, psychology) A mental and behavioral disorder, characterized by obsessive intrusive thoughts and a compulsion to ease the resulti…
- obsessively adverbIn an obsessive manner.
- obsessiveness nounThe characteristic of being obsessive.
- obsessivity nounextreme compulsiveness
- obsidian noun, adjective(mineralogy) A type of naturally occurring black glass produced by volcanoes.
- obsolesce verb(intransitive) To become or be rendered obsolete; to undergo obsolescence.
- obsolescence noun(uncountable) The state of being obsolete—no longer in use; gone into disuse; disused or neglected.
- obsolescent adjectiveIn the process of becoming obsolete, but not obsolete yet.
- obsolete adjective, verb, noun(of words, equipment, etc.) No longer in use or no longer useful; now disused or neglected (often in favour of something newer, better, or …
- obsoleteness nounThe quality or state of being obsolete or no longer in use.
- obstacle nounSomething that impedes, stands in the way of, or holds up progress, either physically or figuratively
- obstacle race noun(chiefly UK) A race on foot through an obstacle course.
- obstetric adjectiveOf or relating to obstetrics (the care of women during and after pregnancy).
- obstetrical adjectiveAlternative form of obstetric.
- obstetrical toad nounA European toad of the genus Alytes, especially Alytes obstetricans, the eggs of which are laid and then carried by the male, entwined arou…
- obstetrician noun(medicine) A physician who specializes in childbirth.
- obstetrics noun(medicine) The care of women during and after pregnancy.
- obstinacy nounThe state, or an act, of stubbornness or doggedness.
- obstinance nounThe characteristic of being obstinate.
- obstinate adjectiveStubbornly adhering to an opinion, purpose, or course, usually with implied unreasonableness; persistent.
- obstinately adverbIn an obstinate manner.
- obstipate verb(medicine) To induce severe constipation through an intestinal blockage
- obstipation nounsevere constipation caused by intestinal obstruction.
- obstreperous adjectiveAttended by, or making, a loud and tumultuous noise; boisterous.
- obstreperously adverbIn an obstreperous manner.
- obstreperousness nounThe quality of being obstreperous.
- obstruct verbTo block or fill (a passage) with obstacles or an obstacle.