Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

oversea

/ˌoʊ.vɚˈsi/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: 2.31 in modern English

Syllables: over-sea
IPA: /ˌoʊ.vɚˈsi/

10

Scrabble Score

7

Letters

3

Syllables

6

Unique Chars

Meaning

adj

Alternative form of overseas.

British usage

adv

Alternative form of overseas.

British usage

Example Sentences

"It was the biggest thing in the town, and everybody I met was full of it. They were going to run an over-sea empire, and make no end of coin by trade."

Etymology

From Middle English over-se, over see, ouer sea, from Old English ofer sǣ (literally “over/across (the) sea”); equivalent to over + sea. Compare West Frisian oerseesk, Dutch overzee, German Übersee, Danish oversøisk.

Origin

Source language: Middle English

Word Breakdown

Root: over-se, ofer sǣ

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˌoʊ.vɚˈsi/
British English: /ˌəʊ.vəˈsiː/

Usage

British usage

Derived Forms

overseas

Synonyms

overseas

Homonyms

oversee

Rhymes With

be he we me she see three free de tv key sea

Questions

How do you pronounce oversea?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˌoʊ.vɚˈsi/.
What does oversea mean?: Alternative form of overseas.
Where does oversea come from?: It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce oversea

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “oversea”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˌoʊ.vɚˈsi/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “oversea”.
Repeat and practice — Say “oversea” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.