tonka bean

noun

"tonka-bean" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“tonka bean” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
10
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A black wrinkled seed of a neotropical legume tree of species Dipteryx odorata, used as a perfume and vanilla substitute due to its high coumarin content.

Corpus desk

Index EN-tonka-bean · tonka bean · English

tonka bean · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "T" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

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.

Key facts for tonka bean
PropertyValue
Headwordtonka bean
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
Letters10
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “tonka bean” in English

tonka beansits beyond the 100,000 most-frequent English words, in the long tail of technical, archaic, or otherwise rare vocabulary where spelling doubt tends to strike hardest.

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

Rare enough to double-check

tonka bean is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "A black wrinkled seed of a neotropical legume tree of species Dipteryx odorata, used as a perfume and vanilla substitute due to its high coumarin content.".

No generated misspelling entries exist for tonka bean in our index, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: Likely from Guyanese Creole English tonka, from a Tupian language, perhaps Kari'na tonka. The correct English form is tonka bean, spelled T-O-N-K-A- -B-E-A-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    A black wrinkled seed of a neotropical legume tree of species Dipteryx odorata, used as a perfume and vanilla substitute due to its high coumarin content.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

These source excerpts show how tonka bean appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. Like when she and Seema […] climb the tonka bean tree.

Etymology

Likely from Guyanese Creole English tonka, from a Tupian language, perhaps Kari'na tonka.

This word in other languages

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 "tonka bean"?
"tonka bean" is spelled T-O-N-K-A- -B-E-A-N.
What does "tonka bean" mean?
As a noun, "tonka bean" means: A black wrinkled seed of a neotropical legume tree of species Dipteryx odorata, used as a perfume and vanilla substitute due to its high coumarin content.
What is the origin of the word "tonka bean"?
Likely from Guyanese Creole English tonka, from a Tupian language, perhaps Kari'na tonka. 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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list