How to pronounce overshoot
Say it like OH-ver-shoot. Overshoot has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (OH).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce overshoot. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- OH
- ver
- shoot
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Overshoot pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- OHSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "o" in go.
- verKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "er" in butter.
- shootGive this part a little weight. The vowel is the "oo" in food.
American vs British pronunciation of overshoot
- Americans pronounce the r after a vowel; most British speakers leave it silent and lengthen the vowel instead.
- The long o starts further forward in British English, closer to "uh-oo" than the American "oh".
British respelling: OH-vuh-shoot.
What does overshoot mean?
- To go past something; to go too far.“When you drive, you must remember to not overshoot the parking space and end up with two wheels over the line.”
- To shoot beyond; to shoot too far to hit something.
- To pass swiftly over; to fly beyond.
- The amount by which something goes too far.“Let's see if we can predict and correct for the overshoot.”
- The situation where the population of a species exceeds its environment's carrying capacity.
- The portion of a letter extending above the capline of other letters of the same font, or the relative degree of such extent.
Where does overshoot come from?
From Middle English overshoten, oversheten (“to shoot beyond, shoot past, pour down from above”), perhaps continuing Old English ofersċēotan (“to shoot down”), equivalent to over- + shoot.
Questions about saying overshoot
How do you pronounce overshoot?
Say OH-ver-shoot. The American pronunciation is /ˈoʊvɚˌʃut/. In British English it is /ˈəʊvəʃuːt/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in overshoot?
Overshoot has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (OH). Broken into parts: OH · ver · shoot.
Is overshoot pronounced differently in British English?
Yes. Americans pronounce the r after a vowel; most British speakers leave it silent and lengthen the vowel instead. The British form is /ˈəʊvəʃuːt/ (OH-vuh-shoot).