noma

/ˈnəʊ̯mə/

//ˈnəʊ̯mə// noun

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

The verdict

“noma” is uncommon English (frequency #52,524 among 1,534 “N” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#52,524
frequency rank, English
1,534
“N” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A gangrenous disease of humans leading to tissue destruction of the face, especially the mouth and cheek.

Corpus desk

Index EN-noma · noma · English

noma · rank #52,524 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #52,524
  • LEN-MID 4 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 1,534
  • PHOTO-FINISH NMS

Nearest frequency peer: NMS (-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 “noma”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

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

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for noma
PropertyValue
Headwordnoma
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈnəʊ̯mə/
Letters4
Frequency rank#52,524
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “noma” 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).nomafalls 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: “NMS” (#52,523), “nonhuman” (#52,525), “niqab” (#52,522). Among 1,534 “N” headwords, “noma” is #52,524. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

noma is uncommon English at frequency #52,524 among 1,534 “N” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈnəʊ̯mə/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "A gangrenous disease of humans leading to tissue destruction of the face, especially the mouth and cheek.".

Our edit-distance generator produced no likely misspellings for noma, suggesting the orthography follows predictable English patterns. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from New Latin noma from Latin nomē from Ancient Greek νομή (nomḗ, “spreading (of sores)”) from νέμω (némō, “feed, devour, spread (of sores)”). The correct English form is noma, spelled N-O-M-A.

Definition

  1. 1
    A gangrenous disease of humans leading to tissue destruction of the face, especially the mouth and cheek.

Etymology

Borrowed from New Latin noma from Latin nomē from Ancient Greek νομή (nomḗ, “spreading (of sores)”) from νέμω (némō, “feed, devour, spread (of sores)”).

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 "noma"?
"noma" is spelled N-O-M-A. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈnəʊ̯mə/.
What does "noma" mean?
As a noun, "noma" means: A gangrenous disease of humans leading to tissue destruction of the face, especially the mouth and cheek.
How do you pronounce "noma"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "noma" is /ˈnəʊ̯mə/. 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 "noma"?
Borrowed from New Latin noma from Latin nomē from Ancient Greek νομή (nomḗ, “spreading (of sores)”) from νέμω (némō, “feed, devour, spread (of sores)”). 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 "noma", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list