Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

shaka

/ˈʃɑːkə/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.63 in modern English

Syllables: sha-ka
IPA: /ˈʃɑːkə/

12

Scrabble Score

5

Letters

2

Syllables

4

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A greeting gesture in which the thumb and little finger are extended while curling the three middle fingers in a semi-fist, used to express a variety of positive meanings including all right, hello and goodbye.

Example Sentences

"Greet someone with the slang, “Howzit?” and say goodbye with a flash of the “shaka” sign (fist closed, thumb and pinky extended) and you have established your credibility with Hawaii natives."
"US President-elect Obama flashes the 'shaka' before he greets a crowd […]"

Etymology

Origin uncertain. Shaka is not a word in the Hawaiian language, which lacks the /ʃ/ sound.

Inflected Forms

shakas (plural)

Synonyms

hang-loose sign

Rhymes With

aka osaka tanaka dhaka lusaka baka paca yamanaka moussaka apodaca straka menchaca

Questions

How do you pronounce shaka?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈʃɑːkə/.
What does shaka mean?: A greeting gesture in which the thumb and little finger are extended while curling the three middle fingers in a semi-fist, used to express a variety of positive meanings including all right, hello and goodbye.
Where does shaka come from?: Origin uncertain. Shaka is not a word in the Hawaiian language, which lacks the /ʃ/ sound.

How to pronounce shaka

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