English spellings/Catalogs/O

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 spot ≈ óscíllâted ''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

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 (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

'''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

ònes plural = òne´s possessive *wúnz

òneself one word, wú-

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

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

'''optimístic

ópt-òut noun hyphenated

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

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

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-

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 most 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

overshádow one word

overstrétched

ovërt - ô-

overthrôw one word

ôwe debt = ôh exclamation = Ô ''letter

Ôwen = '''Eôín

'''óxbow

Óxford -əd

'''óxîde

óxidise, '''óxidîze

óxy- = óxi- = ócci-

'''óxygen

O’Brîen cf. '''Brîan