Ukulele Pronunciation

SailQwest

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So I'm thinking about doing a video for the June/July UU Contest. But will I get loads of grief about my pronunciation of ukulele?

I've lived in the Midwest, Rockies, and now the Caribbean. So it shouldn't be a surprise that I don't pronounce "ukulele" the Hawaiian way.
If I did, folks around here would think I was some kind of a kook.

If I make a video will I just be setting myself up for a lot of grief? I don't want to offend anyone, but can I avoid it?!?
 
I changed the way I say it. Now I pronounce it like a Hawaiian would. After a while it becomes easy. It also gets people's attention when you say it that way.

Or you could do as Deach says, but I'd rather you dub over the video in a funny, squeaky voice! :p
 
Do you roll your "r" when ordering a burrito at taco bell? WHY THE HELL NOT? Thats the correct way to say it in Spanish....:p

I'm sticking with my dorky-mainland-way of saying Youkoolayleeee.
 
Do you roll your "r" when ordering a burrito at taco bell? WHY THE HELL NOT? Thats the correct way to say it in Spanish....:p

I'm sticking with my dorky-mainland-way of saying Youkoolayleeee.

I expect this from someone living in Orry gone.
 
I find it funny that I've actually switched to saying "oo-koo-le-le" but I'll still say "yook" for the short-hand version of the word.

At this point in time, I figure "you-koo-lay-lee", while originally wrong, isn't going to go away and it's going to be pretty much interchangeable from here on out.
 
i never understand why this is such a controversy or why one would be offended. As words are pronunced differently in the west as in the east and south so such is the ukulele. To me as long as they know what you are talking about I never find reasson to have to correct anyones pronunciation of anything. thats just me...
 
I say I-U-KU-L-A-L-A .

The letter A is how to say é .

And the word is Ukulélé for me :)

So ^^
 
As far as I'm concerned - it's really not that big of a deal how someone pronounces the word ukulele, as long as they give the instrument the respect it deserves. As a "grown up", I understand that pronunciation comes from the area/environment where you learned the word. I'm not saying that it's "correct" or "incorrect" - just different, like "slang" or "pidgin". I didn't always think that way though...

As a kid growing up in Hawaii, I would look at people who pronounced the word "Yoo-Ka-lay-lee" the same way I looked at people like "Tiny Tim". Those were the people who thought that the uke was nothing more than a joke instrument. If they were "lazy" in getting the correct pronunciation, then they were lazy in the correct interpretation of the ukulele as a serious musical instrument.

I later learned that I was not correct... it was just a matter of environment. SO... you could say I've matured somewhat. LOL
 
You can usually tell how people pronounce it by the way they type.
When they type "a ukulele," you go with "yookelaylee."
When they type "an ukulele," you go with "ookoolélé."
 
I'd always side with the Hawaiian pronunciation as being correct, it did originate there afterall. Having said that I always pronounce it yook rather than ook for fear of being laughed out of the room. It's fine to call it by it's proper name in Hawaii and among fellow ukulele players but most people wouldn't have a clue what you were on about!
 
Thanks for all the input! I guess most people realize that it's a matter of local pronunciation, and not a sign of ignorance or disrespect.

When we're in Puerto Rico (we spent a lot of time there during hurricane season), I don't correct the people who call me "Keem"...
 
I'm the worst kind – I find myself using both pronunciations. Although originally I used the Hawaiian pronunciation with other players and the mainland pronunciation with non-players, now I usually use the Hawaiian first no matter who I talk to and follow it up with the mainland version for clarification.

So it comes out “ookahlaylay, youkoolaylay” nearly every time. Like some kind of OCD symptom.

I’m forcing myself to break it and standardize on the Hawaiian version, but every time a non-player looks at me with a blank stare, I still wind up using both.
 
The full word, "ukulele" is actually not the interesting one for me... It's how people say the abbreviated version of the word.

Normally, if I shorten the word to "uke," I pronounce it "yook." I went into a music store the other day though, and started picking up a uke to play it, and the woman that worked there walked up to me and said, "so are you new to 'ook,' or do you currently play?"

For me, the abbreviated form just sounds weird when you pronounce it, "ook," but that's just me, haha. Probably just cause I'd never heard it said that way before. To each his own!

In the end, I couldn't care less how it's pronounced, I just know it's fun :D
 
The full word, "ukulele" is actually not the interesting one for me... It's how people say the abbreviated version of the word.

Normally, if I shorten the word to "uke," I pronounce it "yook." I went into a music store the other day though, and started picking up a uke to play it, and the woman that worked there walked up to me and said, "so are you new to 'ook,' or do you currently play?"

For me, the abbreviated form just sounds weird when you pronounce it, "ook," but that's just me, haha. Probably just cause I'd never heard it said that way before. To each his own!

In the end, I couldn't care less how it's pronounced, I just know it's fun :D

Yeah, I say, "yook," but i say, "ookoolélé."
If I'm gonna oo for uke, I might as well é for uke too and say, "ooké," which sounds ridiculous. So for me, "yook" and "ookoolélé."
 
You can usually tell how people pronounce it by the way they type.
When they type "a ukulele," you go with "yookelaylee."
When they type "an ukulele," you go with "ookoolélé."

lol I think I understand what you are saying... This might work on some people... But technically since U is a vowel so some people would type "an ukulele" no matter what way they pronounce it... Just a thought :D
 
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