# Iowa

> English word · Proper noun · IPA /ˈaɪəwə/ · frequency rank #4,096

## Definitions
1. A state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Capital and largest city: Des Moines.
2. A tributary of the Mississippi River which flows through Iowa in a southeast direction.
3. A town in Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana.
4. Ellipsis of University of Iowa.

## Etymology
From French Aiouez/Ayoés, an early transliteration of the name for the Iowa tribe, from Dakota ayúxba (“sleepy ones”).

## Easily confused with
- **IRA** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/iowa-vs-ira)
- **ISA** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/iowa-vs-isa)
- **IPA** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/iowa-vs-ipa)
- **IWC** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/iowa-vs-iwc)
- **issa** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/iowa-vs-issa)
- **Isla** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/iowa-vs-isla)
- **Irma** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/iowa-vs-irma)
- **isha** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/iowa-vs-isha)
- **IA** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ia-vs-iowa)
- **io** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/io-vs-iowa)
- **ion** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ion-vs-iowa)
- **iOS** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ios-vs-iowa)
- **Ida** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ida-vs-iowa)
- **IOC** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ioc-vs-iowa)
- **Ima** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ima-vs-iowa)
- **IBA** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/iba-vs-iowa)
- **Iga** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/iga-vs-iowa)
- **IEA** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/iea-vs-iowa)
- **IOM** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/iom-vs-iowa)
- **idea** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/idea-vs-iowa)

## Common misspellings (4)
`ioaw`, `iowwa`, `iwoa`, `oiwa`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/iowa