viola
/vaɪˈoʊlə/noun, interjection
viola is spelled V-I-O-L-A: 5 letters and 3 syllables. It appears 3.5 times per million words in written English, the 14,106th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data, counting Viola, the name). As a noun, viola means “Any of several flowering plants, of the genus Viola, including the violets and pansies” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of viola is violas or viole.
How many letters and syllables are in viola?
| Letters | 5: V-I-O-L-A |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 3.5 times per million words; the 14,106th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with | |
| Same letters |
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); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is viola?
Viola appears 3.5 times per million words in written English, the 14,106th most frequent word form in the list. The list counts every capitalisation together, so this includes Viola, the name.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce viola?
- UK /ˈviː.ələ/
- UK /ˈvaɪələ/
- US /vaɪˈoʊlə/
As a noun (“A stringed instrument of the violin family, somewhat larger…”): /viˈəʊ.lə/, /viˈoʊ.lə/.
Viola has 3 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: En-us-viola.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with viola?
The 12 most written words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as viola from its last stressed vowel (/oʊlə/):
Spelled with the same letters in another order: voila.
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of viola
- violas plural
- viole plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does viola mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
Any of several flowering plants, of the genus Viola, including the violets and pansies.
- 2
A stringed instrument of the violin family, somewhat larger than a violin, played under the chin, and having a deeper tone.
- 3
A person who plays the viola.
- 4
An organ stop having a similar tone.
- 5
A 10-string steel-string acoustic guitar, used in Brazilian folk music.
- 6
A berimbau viola, the smallest member of the berimbau used in capoeira music.
interjection
- 1
Misconstruction of voila.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
How do you abbreviate viola?
Wiktionary records 2 abbreviations of viola: Va., Vla..
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Viola in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| Portuguese | violeta , viola, viola d'arco |
| Spanish | violeta , viola |
| French | violon alto, alto |
| German | Bratsche, Viola, Altgeige |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does viola come from?
From Latin viola (“violet”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).