3 syllables: o, ver, turn. Stress on o.
OH-vur-turn
/ˈoʊvɚˌtɝn/
overturn is pronounced OH-vur-turn (/ˈoʊvɚˌtɝn/). It has three syllables (o-ver-turn), with the stress on "o". Overturn is a transitive or intransitive verb meaning to reverse the position, order, or condition of something, often through force, argument, or change in circumstances. It can also refer to a legal or formal reversal of a decision or ruling. The term implies undoing or overturning an established state, sometimes after opposition or evidence.
Overturn is a transitive or intransitive verb meaning to reverse the position, order, or condition of something, often through force, argument, or change in circumstances. It can also refer to a legal or formal reversal of a decision or ruling. The term implies undoing or overturning an established state, sometimes after opposition or evidence.
"The sailors managed to overturn the rowboat after it capsized."
"The court ruling was overturned on appeal."
"Public opinion could overturn the government's policy if enough people protest."
US: /ˌoʊ.vɚˈtɝːn/; UK: /ˌəʊ.vəˈtɜːn/; AU: /ˌoʊ.vəˈtɜːn/. Stress falls on the second syllable in the common US pattern: o-VERN. The first syllable reduces to a modal-like /oʊ/ or /əʊ/ depending on accent, and the final syllable features a clear /n/. Mouth: begin with the lips slightly rounded for /oʊ/, move to a mid-central rhotic vowel /ɚ/ in US, then release to /ˈtɝn/ with tip of the tongue near the alveolar ridge and a light flapped or tapped quality if quick.” ,
Common errors include misplacing stress (saying o-VER-turn with wrong focus in non-native speech) and mispronouncing the middle vowel as /ə/ in all accents. Another error is pronouncing /ˈtɜːn/ as /ˈtɜrn/ without the light rhotic vowel in US English, or blending /oʊ/ into /əʊ/ too abruptly. To correct: keep the primary stress on the second syllable, ensure the /ɚ/ or /ɜː/ in the second-to-last vowel is clearly voiced, and articulate the final /n/ with the tip of the tongue at the alveolar ridge.” ,
US pronunciation stresses the second syllable and uses a rhotic /ɚ/ in the second syllable with /ˈtɝːn/ ending; UK tends toward /əˈtɜːn/ with a less pronounced rhotic and a longer /ɜː/ vowel. Australian often mirrors US rhoticity but may reduce the first syllable and tilt the middle vowel toward /ə/ or /ɜː/ depending on speaker. Across all, the final /n/ remains alveolar; the middle consonant cluster is fairly crisp. Focus on light /ɹ/ coloring in US, and on a flatter, less rhotic middle in UK/AU.” ,
It challenges non-native speakers due to the three-syllable sequence with a stressed second syllable and the /ɚ/ or /ɜː/ vowel in US/UK/AU variants. The cluster /vɚˈtɜːn/ requires precise timing: link the /v/ with the following schwa-like vowel, then move quickly into /tɝn/ or /tɜːn/. The r-colored vowel in American English (/ɚ/ or /ɝ/) adds a rhotic element that non-rhotic learners may find tricky.” ,
A unique feature is the hydidentic middle syllable that blends /vɚ/ or /və/ with a strong /t/ onset of the third syllable, creating a subtle transition from a voiced fricative to a voiceless stop before a nasal. The /ɚ/ or /ɜː/ vowel acts as a bridge between the voiced consonant cluster and the final alveolar nasal, making the syllable junctions crucial for natural flow in all three accents.
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Overturn derives from the prefix over- meaning 'above, across, reversed' combined with turn, from Old English turnian and Latin tonere? The etymology traces a path through Middle English where over- repeatedly compounded with turn to express reversal or flipping. The modern sense consolidates two lines of meaning: literal physical flipping (turn over) and figurative reversal (overturn a decision). The earliest uses appear in legal and nautical language where crews flipped or reversed structures or rules and later extended to abstract reversals in politics and law. The term’s suffix -turn is productive in English, with many related compounds (turnover, return, overturn). First known written instances appear in the 16th-17th centuries in English, with the sense of reversing a decision or overturning an obstacle becoming common in the 18th–19th centuries as legal and political language expanded. The word evolved to include idiomatic forms such as ‘overturn the verdict’ and ‘overturn a policy.’ Today, overturn retains both physical and figurative senses, used in formal and informal registers, with the nuance of dramatic reversal or negation of previous conditions.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "overturn" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "overturn"
-urn sounds
-me) sounds
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