4 syllables: o, ver, com, ing. Stress on o.
OH-vur-kuhm-ing
/ˈoʊvɚˌkʌmɪŋ/
overcoming is pronounced OH-vur-kuhm-ing (/ˈoʊvɚˌkʌmɪŋ/). It has four syllables (o-ver-com-ing), with the stress on "o". Overcoming refers to successfully dealing with or prevailing over a difficult obstacle, challenge, or adversity. It implies progress through effort, resilience, and strategy, often highlighting a transition from struggle to success. The term emphasizes agency, persistence, and eventual accomplishment in the face of hardship.
Overcoming refers to successfully dealing with or prevailing over a difficult obstacle, challenge, or adversity. It implies progress through effort, resilience, and strategy, often highlighting a transition from struggle to success. The term emphasizes agency, persistence, and eventual accomplishment in the face of hardship.
- You might misplace the accent; keep primary stress on the syllable 'KUM' (over- + KUM + -ing). - The second syllable often reduces to a weak schwa; preserve a clear rhotic or non-rhotic vowel depending on accent. - Don’t chain the sounds too quickly; ensure the /k/ release before /ʌ/ and /m/ is crisp. - In rapid speech, the initial 'oʊ' or 'əʊ' can carry into the next segment; practice breaking into three chunks (oʊ-vɚ / KUM / ɪŋ) then blend.
"She is overcoming her fear of public speaking by taking small, gradual steps."
"The team is overcoming a series of injuries to finish the season strong."
"He is overcoming language barriers to communicate more effectively with his colleagues."
Phonetically, /ˌoʊ.vɚˈkʌ.mɪŋ/ in US and /ˌəʊ.vəˈkʌm.ɪŋ/ in UK/AU. The primary stress is on the third syllable in three-syllable pronunciation (kʌm). Break it into: oʊ-vər-KUM-ing. Start with a raised vowel quality (diphthong) in 'o' then a schwa-like 'er' in the second syllable, and place the main stress on 'KUM'. Ensure the 'm' is closed by the lips and the 'ing' ends with a nasal. Listen for the subtle linking: over- + coming often connects the second and third syllables in fluent speech.
Common errors: 1) Misplacing the stress, saying o-VER-come-ing instead of over-KUM-ing. 2) Reducing the second syllable to a full schwa instead of a bright 'ər' in American English; keep a clear r-color if rhotic. 3) Slurring the 'v' into 'o' or 'w' making it 'owvercoming'—keep separate /v/ sound. Correction: practice with segmented syllables: /ˌoʊ.vɚˈkʌ.mɪŋ/, then gradually blend while maintaining the coda /ŋ/ at the end. 4) Missing the /k/ release between 'kum' and 'ing'—hold the aspirated stop before the nasal.
US: rhotic /ɚ/ in the second syllable; tension on /ˈkʌ/ with clear /k/ release. UK: non-rhotic /ə/ and a lighter 'r' with less vocalic coloring; the /ˈkʌ/ remains prominent. AU: similar to UK with a slightly flatter intonation; sometimes a broader diphthong on the initial /oʊ/ or /əʊ/. All share the final /ˌɪŋ/; the linking of /r/ and schwa varies with rhoticity. Practice listening to native speakers across sources like Forvo and YouGlish to notice subtle vowel quality and r-coloring differences.
The difficulty comes from coordinating three syllables with a diphthong at the start, a rhotacized or reduced vowel in the second syllable, and a final stressed syllable with a clear /k/ + /m/ + /ɪŋ/ sequence. The 'v' sound adjacent to a vowel can cause blending, and the 'ing' suffix often loses its nasal clarity in fast speech. Working on precise tongue position for /v/, maintaining the /ɚ/ or /ə/ without scooping, and ensuring the /k/ release helps improve accuracy.
A unique aspect is the secondary stress tendency on the prefix 'over-' in careful speech, though the primary stress remains on 'KUM' (third syllable). In careful enunciation you may hear a slight elevation of the 'o' in 'oʊ' before the secondary stress, and the /ɚ/ can be clearly colored in rhotic accents. This micro-pattern helps distinguish it from similar forms like 'overcome' or 'coming'.
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- US: rhotic /ɚ/ in the second syllable; keep 'oʊ' as a clear diphthong, 'v' as a voiced labiodental fricative, ensure crisp /k/ release before /ʌ/; final /ɪŋ/ should be nasalized. - UK: non-rhotic; final 'ing' still /ɪŋ/ with a lighter 'r' coloration; maintain the /ˈkʌm/ cluster without extra vowel. - AU: similar to UK with possible broader vowel smoothing; keep /əʊ/ or /oʊ/ diphthong, the /v/ remains distinct, and the /ŋ/ final is nasal; watch intonation for slightly rising tails in questions.
Overcoming derives from the verb overcome, with the present participle suffix -ing. Overcome itself comes from Old English ofer- and cuman, where ofer- means 'over' or 'above' and -cuman means 'to come.' The sense shifts through Middle English to describe physically rising above, then metaphorically to prevail over difficulties. The modern sense—to defeat or prevail against obstacles—emerged by the 16th century as English speakers began using overcome as a compound verb (over + come) to indicate surpassing or getting over a barrier. The form overcoming entered common usage with progressive aspect to emphasize ongoing struggle and effort. First known uses appear in early Modern English texts, with the concept becoming a staple in self-help and motivational discourse by the 19th and 20th centuries as psychology and resilience studies gained prominence.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "overcoming" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "overcoming" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "overcoming"
-ing sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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