Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

conga

/ˈkɑŋɡə/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: 2.67 in modern English

Syllables: con-ga
IPA: /ˈkɑŋɡə/

8

Scrabble Score

5

Letters

2

Syllables

5

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A tall, narrow, single-headed Cuban hand drum of African origin.

noun

A march of Cuban origin in four-four time in which people form a chain, each holding the hips of the person in front of them; in each bar, dancers take three shuffle steps and then kick alternate legs outwards at the beat; the chain weaves around the place and allows new participants to join the back of the chain.

verb

To dance the conga.

Example Sentences

"The conga dance, with its long line that might eventually sweep in everybody in the place, and the kick on the fourth beat and the fruited headdress that were to become her trademarks."

Etymology

For the dance: * Borrowed from Spanish Congo (“Congo dance”), so-called for being of sub-Saharan African origin.

Origin

Source language: Spanish

Word Breakdown

Root: Congo

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˈkɑŋɡə/
British English: /ˈkɒŋɡə/

Inflected Forms

congas (plural) congas (present, singular) congaing (participle, present) congaed (participle, past) congaed (past)

Phrases

conga drum conga line bunny hop

Frequently Paired Words

bunny hop

Homonyms

conger (non-rhotic)

Rhymes With

salonga tsonga wonga

Questions

How do you pronounce conga?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈkɑŋɡə/.
What does conga mean?: A tall, narrow, single-headed Cuban hand drum of African origin.
Where does conga come from?: It is traced to Spanish.

How to pronounce conga

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