kola

noun

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

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

The verdict

“kola” is uncommon English (frequency #50,631 among 9,255 “K” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#50,631
frequency rank, English
9,255
“K” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A tree, genus Cola, bearing large brown seeds ("nuts") that are the source of cola extract.

Key facts for kola
PropertyValue
Headwordkola
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
Letters4
Frequency rank#50,631
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “kola” 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). kola 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

kola is uncommon English at frequency #50,631 among 9,255 “K” headwords, classed as anoun. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

The misspelling generator found no plausible variants for kola, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: Presumably from a West African language. Compare Hausa gōr̃ò, Bambara goro, Temne kola, Mandinka kolo (“kola nut”). The correct English form is kola, spelled K-O-L-A.

Definition

  1. 1
    A tree, genus Cola, bearing large brown seeds ("nuts") that are the source of cola extract.
  2. 2
    A nut of this tree.
  3. 3
    Alternative form of cola (“drink made with kola nut flavoring”).

Etymology

Presumably from a West African language. Compare Hausa gōr̃ò, Bambara goro, Temne kola, Mandinka kolo (“kola nut”).

This word in other languages

cola(Español)

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 "kola"?
"kola" is spelled K-O-L-A.
What does "kola" mean?
As a noun, "kola" means: A tree, genus Cola, bearing large brown seeds ("nuts") that are the source of cola extract.
What is the origin of the word "kola"?
Presumably from a West African language. Compare Hausa gōr̃ò, Bambara goro, Temne kola, Mandinka kolo (“kola nut”). 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 “kola”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is K-O-L-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