4 syllables: o, ver, flow, ing. Stress on o.
OH-vur-floh-ing
/ˈoʊvɚˌfloʊɪŋ/
overflowing is pronounced OH-vur-floh-ing (/ˈoʊvɚˌfloʊɪŋ/). It has four syllables (o-ver-flow-ing), with the stress on "o". Overflowing describes something filled beyond capacity, spilling over its edges. It conveys abundance or excess to the point of overflow, often used metaphorically for emotions, crowds, or containers. The term combines the sense of overflowing liquids with a continuous state, typically realized in continuous action or result rather than a single moment.
Overflowing describes something filled beyond capacity, spilling over its edges. It conveys abundance or excess to the point of overflow, often used metaphorically for emotions, crowds, or containers. The term combines the sense of overflowing liquids with a continuous state, typically realized in continuous action or result rather than a single moment.
- Don’t reduce the second syllable; keep the /floʊ/ as a stressed syllable with a clear long o. - Avoid tensing your jaw and lips too early; release into /floʊ/ smoothly from the /v/ to the /f/ transition. - Don’t cluster /vər/ and /floʊ/ into a single syllable; delineate o-VER- and FLO- by slightly pausing or lengthening the first unstressed vowel. - Ensure final /ɪŋ/ is crisp and not a damped /ŋ/; keep the tongue tip behind the bottom teeth for clear nasal. These corrections help you sound natural when saying overflowING in fast speech.
"The bathtub was overflowing after the storm, flooding the bathroom floor."
"Her inbox was overflowing with messages from applicants."
"The river was overflowing its banks after days of heavy rain."
Pronounce as /ˌoʊvərˈfloʊɪŋ/ (US) or /ˌəʊvəˈfləʊɪŋ/ (UK). Emphasize the second syllable 'FLOW' with a clear long o: o-vər-FLO-ing. The 'over' part has a schwa in the second syllable. Break it into syllables: o-VER-FLO-ING in US rhythm, keeping the primary stress on FLO. In connected speech, the 'o' in 'over' can be reduced to a schwa, so it sounds like uh-vər-FLOH-ing. Listen for the long o in the final -ing as a separate vowel.
Two common errors: misplacing stress on the first syllable (ō-VER-flo-ing) or merging 'flow' and 'ing' into a dull /fəʊrɪŋ/ sound. correct by keeping primary stress on FLO and ensuring the -ow in flow is a tense long /oʊ/; pronounce final -ing as /ɪŋ/. Practice the 'Flow' chunk with a long o, then quickly add the -ing without changing the tongue position. Use deliberate breath and avoid reducing the 'er' to a full syllable.
US typically uses /ˌoʊvərˈfloʊɪŋ/ with a rhotacized 'er' in many speakers, UK often uses /ˌəʊvəˈfləʊɪŋ/ with a more centralized or reduced 'er' and a clearer /əʊ/ for the first vowel, and AU tends to align with US but may exhibit vowel merging in fast speech, such as a slightly flatter /ɒ/ in 'flow'. The main difference is the r-coloring and vowel quality in stressed syllables, while the final -ing remains /ɪŋ/ across variants.
It challenges you to coordinate a long /oʊ/ in 'over', a full syllable /ˈfloʊ/ in 'flow', and the final /ɪŋ/ in 'ing'—all with proper stress. The mid syllable can trigger a quick schwa reduction in rapid speech, and the 'ow' in 'flow' must stay tense. Additionally, the sequence o-ver-FLO-ing requires a smooth transition between vowel qualities and a subtle palatal or alveolar movement to avoid blending sounds.
In 'overflowing', is the 'er' in the first syllable pronounced as a true schwa or a reduced /ɚ/ in non-rhotic accents? In American English, it’s commonly a schwa /ə/ or rhotacized /ɚ/ depending on regional rhoticity. In non-rhotic accents, you might hear a lighter /ə/ or even a linking /ə/ to the following /ˈfloʊ/. The key is to maintain a clean boundary between the unstressed first syllable and the stressed 'FLO' syllable.
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- US: rhotics /ɹ/ are pronounced with a distinct /ɹ/; keep /ɚ/) for 'er' in unstressed positions. - UK: non-rhotic; 'er' often reduced to /ə/ or /ɜː/ depending on region; stress placement remains the same. - AU: often rhotic in some dialects; final vowel quality tends to be flatter; keep /oʊ/ and /əʊ/ distinctions intact. - IPA references: US /ˌoʊvərˈfloʊɪŋ/, UK /ˌəʊvəˈfləʊɪŋ/, AU /ˌoʊvəˈflɔɪɪŋ/. - Focus on rhoticity, vowel length, and final nasal /ŋ/.
Overflowing comes from the verb overflow, formed from the prefix over- (meaning excessively or beyond) and the verb flow (to move smoothly in a continuous stream). The noun form overflow refers to the excess that goes beyond a container’s edge. The adjective or participial form overflowing retains that imagery of liquid or figurative content exceeding capacity. The word flow has roots in Old English floewan, related to Old High German fluôn, with cognates in various Germanic languages. The prefix over- appeared in English by the 12th century to indicate excess or spanning beyond a limit. Overflow specifically appeared in Middle English, with the participial form overflowing following common English adjective formation patterns by adding -ing to a base verb. The metaphorical usage—emotions, crowds, or data volumes surpassing capacity—developed as technology and urban life demanded terms describing excess beyond a boundary. First known uses are attested in 14th–15th centuries in literal contexts (water overflowing a vessel) and later extended metaphorically to describe overflowing emotions or information overload in modern usage.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "overflowing" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "overflowing" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "overflowing"
-ing sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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