weta

/ˈwɛtə/

//ˈwɛtə// noun

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"weta" is a 4-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“weta” is uncommon English (frequency #80,115 among 12,113 “W” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#80,115
frequency rank, English
12,113
“W” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Any of about 70 insect species in the families Anostostomatidae and Rhaphidophoridae, endemic to New Zealand, resembling katydids or crickets.

Key facts for weta
PropertyValue
Headwordweta
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈwɛtə/
Letters4
Frequency rank#80,115
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “weta” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). weta lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

weta is uncommon English at frequency #80,115 among 12,113 “W” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈwɛtə/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "Any of about 70 insect species in the families Anostostomatidae and Rhaphidophoridae, endemic to New Zealand, resembling katydids or crickets.".

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for weta, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. No close-neighbour confusable shows up for this headword in our dataset, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Māori wētā. The correct English form is weta, spelled W-E-T-A.

Definition

  1. 1
    Any of about 70 insect species in the families Anostostomatidae and Rhaphidophoridae, endemic to New Zealand, resembling katydids or crickets.

Etymology

Borrowed from Māori wētā.

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "weta"?
"weta" is spelled W-E-T-A. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈwɛtə/.
What does "weta" mean?
As a noun, "weta" means: Any of about 70 insect species in the families Anostostomatidae and Rhaphidophoridae, endemic to New Zealand, resembling katydids or crickets.
How do you pronounce "weta"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "weta" is /ˈwɛtə/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "weta"?
Borrowed from Māori wētā. 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 “weta”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is W-E-T-A - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈwɛtə/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Other uncommon English words near this rank

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