cochlea
/ˈkɒk.li.ə/
"cochlea" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“cochlea” is an uncommon English word, ranked #68,942 in English word frequency and used as a noun.
- #68,942
- frequency rank, English
- 7
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The complex, spirally coiled, tapered cavity of the inner ear of higher vertebrates, which contains the organ of Corti and in which sound vibrations are converted into nerve impulses.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | cochlea |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ˈkɒk.li.ə/ |
| Letters | 7 |
| Frequency rank | #68,942 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “cochlea” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for cochlea is 7 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈkɒk.li.ə/. Corpus data places it at rank #68,942 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for cochlea, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.
Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Latin cochlea (“a snail”), from Ancient Greek κόχλιας (kókhlias, “a snail with a spiral shell”). The correct English form is cochlea, spelled C-O-C-H-L-E-A.
Definition
- 1The complex, spirally coiled, tapered cavity of the inner ear of higher vertebrates, which contains the organ of Corti and in which sound vibrations are converted into nerve impulses.
- 2A spiral-shaped shell, especially that of a snail.
Etymology
Borrowed from Latin cochlea (“a snail”), from Ancient Greek κόχλιας (kókhlias, “a snail with a spiral shell”).
This word in other languages
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
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Using “cochlea”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is C-O-C-H-L-E-A - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˈkɒk.li.ə/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
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.