Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

puka

/ˈpuːkə/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 1.86 in modern English

Syllables: pu-ka
IPA: /ˈpuːkə/

10

Scrabble Score

4

Letters

2

Syllables

4

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A small, usually perforated, wave- and beach-polished shell fragment formed from the spire of a cone, found along beaches of Pacific islands, and used especially to make necklaces.

noun

Alternative form of pooka.

noun

The evergreen tree Meryta sinclairii, endemic to New Zealand.

noun

The epiphytic plant Griselinia lucida, native to New Zealand.

Example Sentences

"In contrast, the puca (faeries) of Celtic folklore instill a similar psychological fear in those who believe in them just as the devil in Christianity creates fear in Christians"

Etymology

Borrowed from Hawaiian puka (“hole”).

Origin

Source language: Irish

Word Breakdown

Root: puka, púca

Inflected Forms

pukas (plural)

Synonyms

pukanui akapuka meryta sinclairii griselinia lucida

Homonyms

pooka

Rhymes With

luca hookah bazooka paducah sambuca suka pooka verruca shakshuka cyka

Questions

How do you pronounce puka?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈpuːkə/.
What does puka mean?: A small, usually perforated, wave- and beach-polished shell fragment formed from the spire of a cone, found along beaches of Pacific islands, and used especially to make necklaces.
Where does puka come from?: It is traced to Irish.

How to pronounce puka

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