Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

wahala

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 1.24 in modern English

Syllables
wa-ha-la
IPA
12
Scrabble Score
6
Letters
3
Syllables
4
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

trouble; problem.

Uncountable

Example Sentences

Etymology

From Yoruba wàhálà, from Hausa wàhalā̀, from Arabic وَهْلَة (wahla, “fright, terror”).

Origin

Word Breakdown

  • Root: wàhálà, wàhalā̀, وَهْلَة

Usage

Inflected Forms

wahalla (alternative)

Questions

What does wahala mean?
trouble; problem.
Where does wahala come from?
It is traced to Arabic.

How to pronounce wahala

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