squama

noun

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

The verdict

“squama” is outside the top-ranked English vocabulary, used as a noun - the kind of word writers most often double-check.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
6
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A scale cast off from the skin; a thin dry shred of epithelium.

Key facts for squama
PropertyValue
Headwordsquama
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
Letters6
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “squama” sits in English frequency

squama falls outside the top-100,000 ranked English words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for squama is 6 letters long, classified as a noun. It sits outside the most-frequent rank tiers, which is often why uncommon words generate more spelling variants per reader. Wiktionary records 4 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our edit-distance generator produced no likely misspellings for squama, and the word's spelling is regular enough that our generator found nothing worth flagging. No close-neighbour confusable shows up for this headword in our dataset, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Latin squāma (“scale”). Doublet of squame. The correct English form is squama, spelled S-Q-U-A-M-A.

Definition

  1. 1
    A scale cast off from the skin; a thin dry shred of epithelium.
  2. 2
    The bract of a deciduous spike.
  3. 3
    Any scaly bracted leaf.
  4. 4
    A calypter.

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin squāma (“scale”). Doublet of squame.

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "squama"?
"squama" is spelled S-Q-U-A-M-A.
What does "squama" mean?
As a noun, "squama" means: A scale cast off from the skin; a thin dry shred of epithelium.
What is the origin of the word "squama"?
Borrowed from Latin squāma (“scale”). Doublet of squame. 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 “squama”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is S-Q-U-A-M-A - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • 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