hakuna matata

/həˈkunə məˈtɑtə/

//həˈkunə məˈtɑtə// phrase

"hakuna-matata" is a 12-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“hakuna matata” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a phrase. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
13
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - No worries, take it easy.

Corpus desk

Index EN-hakuna-matata · hakuna matata · English

hakuna matata · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-MEGA 13 letters
  • VOW-6 6 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "H" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Key facts for hakuna matata
PropertyValue
Headwordhakuna matata
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechPhrase
IPA/həˈkunə məˈtɑtə/
Letters13
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “hakuna matata” in English

hakuna matataranks outside the top 100,000 English headwords, in the long tail of specialist, archaic, or seldom-used vocabulary, exactly the territory where a reader stops mid-sentence to double-check spelling.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

hakuna matata is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as aphrase, transcribed /həˈkunə məˈtɑtə/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "No worries, take it easy.".

No generated misspelling entries exist for hakuna matata in our index, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. Our dataset records no confusable match here, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Swahili hakuna matata (“there are no problems”). Popularized in English by the 1994 Disney film The Lion King. The correct English form is hakuna matata, spelled H-A-K-U-N-A- -M-A-T-A-T-A.

Definition

  1. 1
    No worries, take it easy.

Etymology

From Swahili hakuna matata (“there are no problems”). Popularized in English by the 1994 Disney film The Lion King.

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "hakuna matata"?
"hakuna matata" is spelled H-A-K-U-N-A- -M-A-T-A-T-A. The IPA pronunciation is /həˈkunə məˈtɑtə/.
What does "hakuna matata" mean?
As a phrase, "hakuna matata" means: No worries, take it easy.
How do you pronounce "hakuna matata"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "hakuna matata" is /həˈkunə məˈtɑtə/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "hakuna matata"?
From Swahili hakuna matata (“there are no problems”). Popularized in English by the 1994 Disney film The Lion King. 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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list