pukka
puk·ka/ˈpəkə/adjective
pukka is spelled P-U-K-K-A: 5 letters and 2 syllables (puk·ka). It appears about once in every 12 million words in written English, the 105,204th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, pukka means “Genuine or authentic; hence of behaviour: correct, socially acceptable or proper” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in pukka?
| Letters | 5: P-U-K-K-A |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2: puk·ka |
| In writing | about once in every 12 million words; the 105,204th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is pukka?
Pukka appears about once in every 12 million words in written English, the 105,204th 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 pukka?
- UK /ˈpʌkə/
- US /ˈpəkə/
Pukka has 2 syllables, split puk·ka in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-au-pukka.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of pukka
- more pukka comparative
- most pukka superlative
- pacca
- pakka
- pucka
- pucca
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does pukka mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Genuine or authentic; hence of behaviour: correct, socially acceptable or proper.
- 2
Constructed as a permanent building, with high-quality materials (especially fired clay bricks and tiles as opposed to unfired mud and thatch).
- 3
UKslangSuperior or of high quality; first-class; excellent.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Where does pukka come from?
From Hindi पक्का (pakkā, “certain, sure”), Punjabi ਪੱਕਾ (pakkā, “mature, ripe; cooked; strong, substantial; genuine, sound, true, valid”) and Urdu پکا (pakkā, “mature, ripe; cooked; strong, substantial; genuine, sound, true, valid”), from Sanskrit पक्व (pakva, “baked, cooked, roasted”), from पचति (pacati, “to bake, cook, roast”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).