kea

/ˈkiːə/

//ˈkiːə// noun

"kea" is a 3-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“kea” is uncommon English (frequency #50,625 among 9,255 “K” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#50,625
frequency rank, English
9,255
“K” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Nestor notabilis, a parrot of New Zealand.

Key facts for kea
PropertyValue
Headwordkea
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈkiːə/
Letters3
Frequency rank#50,625
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “kea” 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). kea 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

kea is uncommon English at frequency #50,625 among 9,255 “K” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈkiːə/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "Nestor notabilis, a parrot of New Zealand.".

No generated misspelling entries exist for kea in our index, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Māori kea. The correct English form is kea, spelled K-E-A.

Definition

  1. 1
    Nestor notabilis, a parrot of New Zealand.

Etymology

Borrowed from Māori kea.

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

How do you spell "kea"?
"kea" is spelled K-E-A. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈkiːə/.
What does "kea" mean?
As a noun, "kea" means: Nestor notabilis, a parrot of New Zealand.
How do you pronounce "kea"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "kea" is /ˈkiːə/. 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 "kea"?
Borrowed from Māori kea. 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 “kea”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is K-E-A - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈkiːə/ (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

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