In a broad sense, Waka means Choka (long poem), Tanka (short poem), Sedoka (head-repeated poem), Katauta (half poem), and Bussokusekika (Buddha's footprint stone poem), but in a narrow sense it designates only Tanka of 31 syllables.
和歌は広義には長歌・短歌・旋頭歌・片歌及び仏足石歌の総称だが、狭義には31音を定型とする短歌のことを指す。