kolo

/ˈkəʊləʊ/

//ˈkəʊləʊ// noun

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

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

The verdict

“kolo” is uncommon English (frequency #55,538 among 1,236 “K” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#55,538
frequency rank, English
1,236
“K” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A national folk dance common in regions pertaining to South Slavic people, performed in a circle.

Corpus desk

Index EN-kolo · kolo · English

kolo · rank #55,538 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #55,538
  • LEN-MID 4 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 1,236
  • PHOTO-FINISH Kokomo

Nearest frequency peer: Kokomo (-1 rank slots)

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.

Long-tail ranks near “kolo”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “kolo” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for kolo
PropertyValue
Headwordkolo
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈkəʊləʊ/
Letters4
Frequency rank#55,538
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “kolo” in English

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).kolofalls in this rarity band:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Rare peers in the same band: “Kokomo” (#55,537), “Kirwan” (#55,536), “koto” (#55,540). Among 1,236 “K” headwords, “kolo” is #55,538. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

kolo is uncommon English at frequency #55,538 among 1,236 “K” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈkəʊləʊ/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

No generated misspelling entries exist for kolo in our index, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. 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 Serbo-Croatian kolo and Slovene kolo, from Proto-Slavic *kolo (“wheel”). The correct English form is kolo, spelled K-O-L-O.

Definition

  1. 1
    A national folk dance common in regions pertaining to South Slavic people, performed in a circle.
  2. 2
    A mixed grain dish from East Africa

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

These source excerpts show how kolo appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. 1942: As we came to this promenade … we heard the throbbing of a drum that announces a kolo, a communal dance. — Rebecca West, Black Lamb and Grey Falcon (Canongate 2006, p. 660)

Etymology

Borrowed from Serbo-Croatian kolo and Slovene kolo, from Proto-Slavic *kolo (“wheel”).

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 "kolo"?
"kolo" is spelled K-O-L-O. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈkəʊləʊ/.
What does "kolo" mean?
As a noun, "kolo" means: A national folk dance common in regions pertaining to South Slavic people, performed in a circle.
How do you pronounce "kolo"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "kolo" is /ˈkəʊləʊ/. 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 "kolo"?
Borrowed from Serbo-Croatian kolo and Slovene kolo, from Proto-Slavic *kolo (“wheel”). 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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "kolo", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 4 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

koto#55,540Kurd#55,543Lani#55,548jamb#55,525

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list