ala
/ˈeɪ.lə/noun, preposition
ala is spelled A-L-A: 3 letters and 2 syllables. It appears 3.4 times per million words in written English, the 14,307th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, ala means “A wing or winglike anatomic process or part, especially of bone” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of ala is alae or alæ.
How many letters and syllables are in ala?
| Letters | 3: A-L-A |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 3.4 times per million words; the 14,307th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Pairs people search | |
| Rhymes with | |
| Same letters |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); Bing searches in the United States: the average month from September 2025 to August 2026 (Microsoft Advertising keyword data through DataForSEO, read September 30, 2026); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is ala?
Ala appears 3.4 times per million words in written English, the 14,307th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce ala?
- US /ˈeɪ.lə/
Ala has 2 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-ala.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Words people confuse with ala
Word pairs people search, with the monthly searches for “a vs b” (G: Google, B: Bing, United States).
Also written: a la (one word or two).
Sources: Google and Bing searches (September 2025 to August 2026, through DataForSEO); English Wiktionary (homophones, alternative spellings).
What rhymes with ala?
2 words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as ala from its last stressed vowel (/eɪlə/):
Spelled with the same letters in another order: aal.
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of ala
- alae plural
- alæ plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does ala mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A wing or winglike anatomic process or part, especially of bone.
- 2
The flattened border of some stems, fruits, and seeds, or one of the two side petals of certain flowers in the pea family.
- 3
In ancient Rome, a small room opening into a larger room or courtyard.
noun
- 1
Initialism of alpha linolenic acid.
- 2
Initialism of aminolevulinic acid.
preposition
- 1
colloquialAlternative form of a la.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Where does ala come from?
Originated 1730–40, borrowed from Latin āla (“wing”). Doublet of aisle.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).