Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

kora

/ˈkoɹə/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.28 in modern English

Syllables: ko-ra
IPA: /ˈkoɹə/

8

Scrabble Score

4

Letters

2

Syllables

4

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A type of harp or lute played in West Africa.

name

A female given name, modern or (rare) German variant of Cora.

Example Sentences

"He is performing here with his Symmetric Orchestra, an ensemble of West African musicians who play both traditional instruments (kora, balafon, bolombatto, djembe) and slightly more contemporary ones (guitars, keyboards)."
"Since its invention, probably in sixteenth-century Senegal, the kora has been used by professional bards called jalis, or griots. The plucked instrument's harplike sound accompanies the jali's song—praise for patrons, histories and genealogies, satire, political commentary, and poetic recitation."

Etymology

Borrowed from Bambara kɔ́ra.

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˈkoɹə/
British English: /ˈkɔːɹə/

Inflected Forms

koras (plural)

Derived Forms

koraist

Homonyms

Cora

Rhymes With

laura aurora flora aura nora torah dora pandora cora ora bora mora

Questions

How do you pronounce kora?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈkoɹə/.
What does kora mean?: A type of harp or lute played in West Africa.
Where does kora come from?: Borrowed from Bambara kɔ́ra.

How to pronounce kora

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