pagoda

/pəˈɡoʊ.də/

//pəˈɡoʊ.də// noun

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

"pagoda" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“pagoda” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #35,009 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#35,009
frequency rank, English
6
letters
8
tracked misspellings
4
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A religious building in South and Southeast Asia, especially a multi-storey tower erected as a Hindu or Buddhist temple.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

pagoda vs panda
67% similar
pagoda vs Paola
50% similar
pagoda vs parody
67% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for pagoda
PropertyValue
Headwordpagoda
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/pəˈɡoʊ.də/
Letters6
Frequency rank#35,009
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs4
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “pagoda” 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). pagoda lands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for pagoda is 6 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /pəˈɡoʊ.də/. Corpus data places it at rank #35,009 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 5 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for pagoda, with forms such as "apgoda", "pagdoa", and "paggoda". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 4 confusable-pair relationships, "panda", "Paola", "parody", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Portuguese pagode, which is via Malayalam പകോതി (pakōti) from Sanskrit भगवती (bhagavatī, name of a goddess). The correct English form is pagoda, spelled P-A-G-O-D-A.

Definition

  1. 1
    A religious building in South and Southeast Asia, especially a multi-storey tower erected as a Hindu or Buddhist temple.
  2. 2
    An image or carving of a god in South and Southeast Asia; an idol.
  3. 3
    A unit of currency, a coin made of gold or half gold, issued by various dynasties and colonial powers in southern India.
  4. 4
    An ornamental structure imitating the design of the religious building, erected in a park or garden.
  5. 5
    A pagoda sleeve.

Etymology

From Portuguese pagode, which is via Malayalam പകോതി (pakōti) from Sanskrit भगवती (bhagavatī, name of a goddess).

This word in other languages

pagoda(Español)pagode(Français)Pagode(Deutsch)pagode(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: apgoda,pagdoa,paggoda,pagoad,pagodda,paogda,pgaoda,ppagoda

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of pagoda - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

apgoda2pagdoa2paggoda1pagoad2pagodda1paogda2pgaoda2ppagoda1
Edit distance from "pagoda"

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 "pagoda"?
"pagoda" is spelled P-A-G-O-D-A. The IPA pronunciation is /pəˈɡoʊ.də/.
What does "pagoda" mean?
As a noun, "pagoda" means: A religious building in South and Southeast Asia, especially a multi-storey tower erected as a Hindu or Buddhist temple.
What words are commonly confused with "pagoda"?
"pagoda" is commonly confused with "panda", "Paola", "parody". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "pagoda"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "pagoda" is /pəˈɡoʊ.də/. 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 "pagoda"?
From Portuguese pagode, which is via Malayalam പകോതി (pakōti) from Sanskrit भगवती (bhagavatī, name of a goddess). 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 “pagoda”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is P-A-G-O-D-A - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /pəˈɡoʊ.də/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “panda” - see the side-by-side comparison. pagoda vs panda
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list