How to pronounce "overturn" in EnglishNoun
ˌoʊvərˈtɜːrn
oh·vər·TURN
Primary stress: TURN
We haven’t indexed spoken video clips for this word in our library yet. You can listen to its audio pronunciation, review phonetic IPA, and check definitions below.
No video clips indexed yet for “overturn”
We haven’t indexed spoken video clips for this word in our library yet. You can listen to its audio pronunciation, review phonetic IPA, and check definitions below.
Linguistic Pronunciation Masterclass: “overturn”
Phonetic mechanics, syllable architecture, and conversational cadence
Syllable Architecture & Stress Distribution
oh
Neutral schwa (⁄ə⁄): relaxed jaw, brief unstressed breath.
vər
Neutral schwa (⁄ə⁄): relaxed jaw, brief unstressed breath.
TURN
Gliding diphthong with sustained vocal resonance.
Primary emphasis falls on the third syllable ("TURN"). Raise your pitch and sustain the vowel length on this syllable while relaxing the surrounding syllables.
Common Pronunciation Traps & Learner Mistakes
The Trap: Avoid pronouncing every vowel with full acoustic weight. Non-native speakers often over-enunciate unstressed vowels.
How Native Speakers Say It: Only give full vowel clarity to the primary stressed syllable. Relax all unstressed vowels into a neutral, low-energy schwa (⁄ə⁄).
Connected Speech & Natural Conversational Flow
When "overturn" is followed by a word starting with a vowel, glide the final consonant into the opening vowel (e.g. "overturn is" sounds like "overturn-iz").
Maintain the stress-timed rhythm of English: compress unstressed syllables rapidly so the beat of "overturn" aligns naturally with adjacent words.
Practice Speaking “overturn”
Listen to native pronunciation, record yourself repeating the sentence into your microphone, and receive real-time word-by-word accuracy scoring.
About three or four minutes later still an express freight on the up main line ran into the wreckage at about 35 m.p.h. Its engine also overturned and 15 more wagons were added to the mounting pile of wreckage.
Hear it in context: “overturn”
The English word “overturn” is transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) as ˌoʊvərˈtɜːrn (phonetic respelling: oh-vər-TURN). Phonologically, it consists of 3 syllables (oh · vər · TURN), with primary lexical stress placed on the 3rd syllable (TURN). Grammatically, “overturn” functions as a verb, noun and acts as an English heteronym where syllable stress shifts between noun (initial-syllable stress) and verb (second-syllable stress) usage. Hear native speakers say overturn in context across real video clips
Definition & Meaning: “overturn”
- To turn over, capsize or upset.
- To overthrow or destroy.
- A turning over or upside-down; inversion.
- The overturning or overthrow of some institution or state of affairs; ruin.
Example Sentences (1)
- “About three or four minutes later still an express freight on the up main line ran into the wreckage at about 35 m.p.h. Its engine also overturned and 15 more wagons were added to the mounting pile of wreckage.”
Pronounce: “overturn”
- Pronunciation:
- oh-vər-TURN
- Syllables:
- oh · vər · TURN
- Written Hyphenation:
- o · ver · turn
- Primary stress:
- TURN
- IPA:
- ˌoʊvərˈtɜːrn
- Hear it in context
- overturn
Words that Rhyme with “overturn”
-ɜrnWords that Sound Identical (Homophones)
Unique Sound"overturn" (⁄ˌoʊvərˈtɜːrn⁄) has no true homophones in standard English — there are no other words with identical pronunciation. Unlike sound-alike pairs like there / their or peace / piece, "overturn" has a completely distinct phonetic identity.
Frequently asked questions about overturn
How do you pronounce “overturn”?
“overturn” is pronounced ⁄ˌoʊvərˈtɜːrn⁄ (oh-vər-TURN). Listen to the audio pronunciation above to hear it spoken clearly.
How many syllables are in “overturn”?
“overturn” has 3 syllables: oh · vər · TURN.
Where is the stress in “overturn”?
The primary stress in “overturn” is on “TURN”.
What does “overturn” mean?
To turn over, capsize or upset.
What is the most common pronunciation mistake when saying “overturn”?
Avoid pronouncing every vowel with full acoustic weight. Non-native speakers often over-enunciate unstressed vowels. Only give full vowel clarity to the primary stressed syllable. Relax all unstressed vowels into a neutral, low-energy schwa (⁄ə⁄).