nakba

/ˈnɑːkbə/

//ˈnɑːkbə// noun

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

"nakba" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“nakba” is uncommon English (frequency #87,597 among 24,391 “N” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#87,597
frequency rank, English
24,391
“N” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - In Arab contexts: a catastrophe; a grave setback.

Key facts for nakba
PropertyValue
Headwordnakba
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈnɑːkbə/
Letters5
Frequency rank#87,597
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “nakba” 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). nakba 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

nakba is uncommon English at frequency #87,597 among 24,391 “N” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈnɑːkbə/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "In Arab contexts: a catastrophe; a grave setback.".

nakba has no tracked misspelling variants, and the word's spelling is regular enough that our generator found nothing worth flagging. Our dataset records no confusable match here, 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 Arabic نَكْبَة (nakba, “disaster, catastrophe”); see further at Nakba. The correct English form is nakba, spelled N-A-K-B-A.

Definition

  1. 1
    In Arab contexts: a catastrophe; a grave setback.

Etymology

Borrowed from Arabic نَكْبَة (nakba, “disaster, catastrophe”); see further at Nakba.

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 "nakba"?
"nakba" is spelled N-A-K-B-A. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈnɑːkbə/.
What does "nakba" mean?
As a noun, "nakba" means: In Arab contexts: a catastrophe; a grave setback.
How do you pronounce "nakba"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "nakba" is /ˈnɑːkbə/. 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 "nakba"?
Borrowed from Arabic نَكْبَة (nakba, “disaster, catastrophe”); see further at Nakba. 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 “nakba”

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

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