boma

noun

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"boma" is a 4-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“boma” is uncommon English (frequency #79,320 among 31,241 “B” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#79,320
frequency rank, English
31,241
“B” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - An enclosure usually made of thorn bushes, and latterly of steel fencing, for protection from marauders.

Key facts for boma
PropertyValue
Headwordboma
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
Letters4
Frequency rank#79,320
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “boma” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). boma lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

boma is uncommon English at frequency #79,320 among 31,241 “B” headwords, classed as anoun. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 7 senses are on record.

No misspelling variants are generated for boma in our index, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Swahili boma (“enclosure, fortified outpost”). The correct English form is boma, spelled B-O-M-A.

Definition

  1. 1
    An enclosure usually made of thorn bushes, and latterly of steel fencing, for protection from marauders.
  2. 2
    A stockade made of bushes and thorns.
  3. 3
    A hide.
  4. 4
    A hut.
  5. 5
    A military or police post or magistracy.
  6. 6
    A type of fertilizer rich in animal dung.
  7. 7
    A method of composting in which animals are bedded on the material before it is used, allowing it to gather urine and dung.

Etymology

Borrowed from Swahili boma (“enclosure, fortified outpost”).

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "boma"?
"boma" is spelled B-O-M-A.
What does "boma" mean?
As a noun, "boma" means: An enclosure usually made of thorn bushes, and latterly of steel fencing, for protection from marauders.
What is the origin of the word "boma"?
Borrowed from Swahili boma (“enclosure, fortified outpost”). See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “boma”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is B-O-M-A - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Other uncommon English words near this rank

Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list