“Oversleep”と“Sleep over”の違いとは？順番で意味が変わる英語の単語ペア7選
English can be full of surprises! Reversing two parts of a word gives you a completely different meaning.
In this post, we’ll look at common English word pairs like “overwork” and “work over” or “oversleep” and “sleep over”. These phrases use the same words, but in opposite order - and their meanings are completely different.
Let’s explore 7 of these word pairs and learn how to use them naturally.
1. Overwork / Work Over
Overwork (verb): to work too much or too hard
“He had to go to the hospital, because of stress after months of overwork.”
Work over (verb): to attack someone, or to examine something carefully
“The fighter was badly worked over in the final round of the match.”
“Let’s work over the plan before the meeting.”
The tone is very different: overwork is often about burnout, while work over can be either violent or analytical, depending on context.
2. Oversleep / Sleep Over
Oversleep (verb): to sleep too long and miss something
“I missed the train because I overslept.”
Sleep over (phrasal verb): to stay the night at someone’s home
“My daughter’s friend is sleeping over tonight.”
Oversleep is usually unintentional, while sleep over is a casual plan - staying the night at a friend’s house.
3. Outrun / Run Out
Outrun (verb): to run faster than someone or something
“She easily outran the other runners.”
Run out (of something) (phrasal verb): to finish a supply of something
“We ran out of milk this morning.”
One is physical (outrun), the other is practical (run out), and their meanings are completely unrelated.
4. Overlook / Look Over
Overlook (verb): to fail to notice something
“He overlooked an important mistake in the report.”
(It can also mean “to have a view of”: “The hotel room overlooks the ocean.”)
Look over (phrasal verb): to check something, often quickly
“Can you look over this form before I send it?”
One means missing something, and the other means checking something - they sound similar but mean opposite things.
5. Overtake / Take Over
Overtake (verb): to pass by someone or something
“The car overtook us on the highway: it was behind us, and now it is in front of us.”
Take over (phrasal verb): to gain control of something
“He took over the company after the CEO retired.”
Both involve change, but in different ways - overtake is about speed or position, while take over is about control or leadership.
6. Outlook / Look Out
Outlook (noun): your view of the future, or your attitude
“She has a very positive outlook on life.”
“The economic outlook is uncertain.”
Look out (phrasal verb): a warning to be careful
“Look out! There’s a car coming.”
These two are especially different - outlook is about perspective, while look out is about immediate danger.
7. Output / Put Out
Output (noun): the amount of something produced
“This machine has a high energy output.”
“We need to increase our weekly output.”
Put out (phrasal verb): to extinguish (stop a fire) or release something, or to inconvenience someone
“He put out the fire quickly.” (extinguish)
“They put out a press release this morning.” (release)
“Sorry to put you out - I know you’re busy.” (inconvenience)
Output is about quantity. Put out is versatile, but most meanings involve sending something out or stopping something.
Quick Practice
Which word or phrase fits each situation?
You missed your morning meeting because you slept too long.
Your company sent an announcement to all clients.
Someone checked a document for errors before submitting it.
A friend is staying the night at your house.
You passed another runner in a race.
Your coworker worked so hard they became exhausted.
A child almost ran into traffic and you shouted to warn them.
Final Thoughts
English is full of patterns and surprises. These word pairs are great examples of how changing the order of words or prefixes can completely change the meaning. By learning both versions, you’ll deepen your vocabulary and avoid confusion in everyday situations.
Answers:
oversleep
put out
look over
sleep over
overtake
overwork
look out