wa
/ˈdʌbəlˌjuː eɪ/noun, interjection
wa is spelled W-A: 2 letters and one syllable. It appears 15 times per million words in written English, the 5,407th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, wa means “A traditional proa-style outrigger canoe of the Caroline Islands” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in wa?
| Letters | 2: W-A |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 1 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 15 times per million words; the 5,407th 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 wa?
Wa appears 15 times per million words in written English, the 5,407th 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 wa?
- Australia /ˈdʌbəlˌjuː eɪ/
Wa has one syllable (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)-Persent101-WA.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Words people confuse with wa
Also written: waa.
Sources: English Wiktionary (homophones, alternative spellings).
What does wa mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A traditional proa-style outrigger canoe of the Caroline Islands.
- 2
A Thai unit of length, traditionally comparable to a fathom, and now officially equal to two metres.
- 3
In Japanese society, the favouring of a harmonious community over one's personal interests.
noun
- 1
Initialism of wing attack.
noun
- 1
An ethnic group in Myanmar and China.
- 2
The ancient peoples of Japan (from a Chinese perspective).
interjection
- 1
Alternative form of waa.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).