powwow
/ˈpaʊ(ˌ)waʊ/noun, verb
powwow is spelled P-O-W-W-O-W: 6 letters and 2 syllables. It appears about once in every 5 million words in written English, the 69,055th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, powwow means “A ritual conducted by a Native American shaman” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of powwow is powwows.
How many letters and syllables are in powwow?
| Letters | 6: P-O-W-W-O-W |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 5 million words; the 69,055th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is powwow?
Powwow appears about once in every 5 million words in written English, the 69,055th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce powwow?
- /ˈpaʊ(ˌ)waʊ/
Powwow has 2 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Flame,_not_lame-powwow.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Words people confuse with powwow
Also written: pow-wow (one word or two).
Sources: English Wiktionary (homophones, alternative spellings).
Forms of powwow
- powwows plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- pow wow
- pow-wow
- pau wau
- powwowing participle, present
- powwowed participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does powwow mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A ritual conducted by a Native American shaman.
- 2
A Native American shaman.
- 3
A Native American council or meeting.
- 4
informalA short, private conference.
- 5
CanadaUSA large gathering during which Indigenous songs and dances are showcased for an audience, essentially a recital or concert. Often also doubles as a fundraiser, or can be held in conjunction with a non-indigenous fair or exhibition in order to attract a large crowd, as at the Calgary Stampede and K-Days.
- 6
A tradition of folk magic practiced by the Pennsylvania Dutch.
verb
- 1
To hold a meeting; to gather together in council.
- 2
To conduct a ritual in which magic is used.
- 3
informaloffensiveTo hold a private conference.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Where does powwow come from?
From an Eastern Algonquian language, probably Massachusett pauwau (“he uses divination; he practices magic or sorcery”) or Narragansett powwáw (“sorcerer, shaman”), ultimately from Proto-Algonquian *pawe·wa (“one who dreams”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).