English spellings/Catalogs/O

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

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

Oêdipus BrE; AmE Ê-

oêstrogen BrE; AmE ê-

öeuvre *ëvra

óf *óv

offénce BrE; AmE '''offénse

'''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 or '''ôkây

Oklahôma Ôak-

ôld normal = ôlde jocular, old-fashioned = Ôld person

'''ôld-fáshioned

Óliver, cf. '''Tólliver

'''Olýmpic

'''ômega

ómelette *ómlit, cf. '''hámlet

'''omérta

'''omnípotent

'''omníscience

'''omníscient

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 '''Ontãrio

ón to *óntû or *óntə: two words, even though ínto is one

ónyx or '''ônyx

'''oòps

óp-éd (short for 'opposite the editorial page')

'''óperate

ophthalmólogist óphth-

'''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 AmE '''ŏrifíce

'''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, or = àre ''is

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

O’Brîen cf. '''Brîan