Pronunciation of ukulele?
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Brad Bordessa
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This has been flamed to death. Please try a search and you'll find many, many informative (and heated) threads.
sculptor
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It is Hawaiian...
It's a word from the Hawaiian language so the vowel "u" would be pronounced in the second way.
It's a word from the Hawaiian language so the vowel "u" would be pronounced in the second way.
Rllink
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I always thought that people not from Hawaii, who pronounced it ookoolele sounded kind of dorky. But I winter in Puerto Rico, and the Spanish pronunciation is ookoolele, so I've taken to that pronunciation as well. It seems much less pretentious here, than in Iowa. I'll probably switch back, when we return to Iowa the spring.
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I agree with the pretentiousness of the hawiian pronunciation up here in the frozen north. When every single person I come into contact with says Ukulele I am not gonna come off as a jerk and say ooo......it starts with an ooo!!!! Uke players don't need to come across as anymore goofy.
Camsuke
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What happens when you abbreviate? Do you say ook or uke? Grab an ook and let's jam or grab a uke and let's jam?
photoshooter
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I avoid all that mess by telling people it's a fiddle.
Ames! I'm a bit south of West Des Moines down I-35. Small world.
70sSanO
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I think uke follows the same rules... Hawaiians say ook, mainlanders like myself, uke. I agree with the others from places other than Hawaii, and use "u" and not "oo" here in California.
John
CasanovaGuy
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For the word "ukulele," if you hear someone say the "you" sound, they're probably saying "yuu-kuh-lay-lee," which is the mainland-ish way to say it. If you hear someone say the "ooh" sound, they're probably saying "ooh-koo-leh-leh," which is legit Hawaiian way and how may people in Hawaii say the word nowadays.
"Uke" is a bit more complicated. I'm pretty sure the correct pronunciation would be "ook" instead of "yuuk," but I haven't heard anyone say it like such. I say "yuuk," all my ukulele teachers said "yuuk," everyone I know says "yuuk."
"Uke" is a bit more complicated. I'm pretty sure the correct pronunciation would be "ook" instead of "yuuk," but I haven't heard anyone say it like such. I say "yuuk," all my ukulele teachers said "yuuk," everyone I know says "yuuk."
Camsuke
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Thanks for your input CG, I thought "yuuk" might work best as well.
Rllink
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Yes it is a small world. One of my neighbors who lives down here year around, is from Decorah. I haven't found many ukulele players in Iowa. When I get back, maybe we can meet in Des Moines and compare notes.
jollyboy
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Farp
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I was raised saying you-koo-lay-lee (yuke). When I started playing the instrument in 1959, that's the way everyone I knew pronounced it. It has only been in these later years I've heard ook-u-leh-leh, and it just rubs me wrong. However, I thought, okay, I can climb aboard the ook-talk if that's what it's supposed to be.
Then, I saw a video of Uncle Bill Tapia one of the best-known ukulele players in the world, born in Hawaii in 1908 (died 2011), and a "father" to ukulele jazz, yada, yada. Fortunately, we have videos on the 'Tube with Bill talking about the ukulele. His pronunciation is you-koo-lay-lee. Good enough for Bill, good enough for me, plus, I don't have to change.
When I go to my monthly ukulele club jam, there are some-many who say ook. I respond with yuke. No one is concerned how the other says it...just play, lol.
Then, I saw a video of Uncle Bill Tapia one of the best-known ukulele players in the world, born in Hawaii in 1908 (died 2011), and a "father" to ukulele jazz, yada, yada. Fortunately, we have videos on the 'Tube with Bill talking about the ukulele. His pronunciation is you-koo-lay-lee. Good enough for Bill, good enough for me, plus, I don't have to change.
When I go to my monthly ukulele club jam, there are some-many who say ook. I respond with yuke. No one is concerned how the other says it...just play, lol.
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Pueo
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I say it without the Y sound at the beginning.
People can say it however they like as far as I am concerned, I understand there are regional dialects.
The only one that grates on me a bit is YOU kuh LAY LEE but whatever.
I try to avoid uke in general, but I do say that as yuke when I have to, as in naming a group that has that word in it, for example.
I live in Hawaii, but I am from California. I don't correct people if they pronounce it differently than I do. I just say it how I say it.
I try to respect the local culture. The thing I find most difficult is pronouncing Honolulu correctly consistently. Many years of growing up hearing it as Hahn - uh - loo - loo has wreaked havoc, as it is actually pronounced HO - NO - loo - loo like it is spelled.
I also know how to pronounce "Burrito" correctly in Spanish, but unless I am speaking Spanish, I don't say it that way.
People can say it however they like as far as I am concerned, I understand there are regional dialects.
The only one that grates on me a bit is YOU kuh LAY LEE but whatever.
I try to avoid uke in general, but I do say that as yuke when I have to, as in naming a group that has that word in it, for example.
I live in Hawaii, but I am from California. I don't correct people if they pronounce it differently than I do. I just say it how I say it.
I try to respect the local culture. The thing I find most difficult is pronouncing Honolulu correctly consistently. Many years of growing up hearing it as Hahn - uh - loo - loo has wreaked havoc, as it is actually pronounced HO - NO - loo - loo like it is spelled.
I also know how to pronounce "Burrito" correctly in Spanish, but unless I am speaking Spanish, I don't say it that way.
I go the second way, because I've heard that is the more correct way. However, I'm probably still pronouncing it significantly different than truly correct, and I would certainly never comment on how anybody else pronounces it.
