Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

waka

/ˈwakə/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.76 in modern English

Syllables: wa-ka
IPA: /ˈwakə/

11

Scrabble Score

4

Letters

2

Syllables

3

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A kind of classical Japanese poem.

noun

New Zealand usage

noun

A broad Maori community consisting of numerous Maori tribes, all sharing common ancestors thought to have come to New Zealand in a particular canoe. (A waka is divided into several iwi.)

New Zealand usage

name

A female given name from Japanese.

Example Sentences

"“Hey, look. There's one of those Jap waka poems on the back of this cigarette package.”"
"On occasion this orientation would extend to wider tribal units […] or even to waka federations such as Tainui, Te Arawa or Mataatua."

Etymology

Borrowed from Japanese 和歌 (waka), from Middle Chinese 和 (ɣwa), a gloss for 倭 (ʔwa, “Japan”) + 歌 (ka, “song”).

Word Breakdown

Root: 和, waka

Regional Pronunciation

British English: /ˈwakə/

Usage

New Zealand usage

Inflected Forms

wakas (plural)

Phrases

waka-jumper waka-jumping waka gashira

Frequently Paired Words

waka gashira

Rhymes With

mocha bocca quokka yucca chukka pukka bucca nucca

Questions

How do you pronounce waka?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈwakə/.
What does waka mean?: A kind of classical Japanese poem.
Where does waka come from?: Borrowed from Japanese 和歌 (waka), from Middle Chinese 和 (ɣwa), a gloss for 倭 (ʔwa, “Japan”) + 歌 (ka, “song”).

How to pronounce waka

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