Meaning & use
ukelele
Last updated
“ukelele” is a form of “ukulele”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meaning
nouncountable
A small guitar-like instrument with four strings, originally from Hawaii.
Grammar: Countable: one ukelele, two ukeleles; play the ukelele.
Patterns
- play the ukelele
- a ukelele player
- strum a ukelele
She learned three chords on her new ukelele.
He brought an ukelele to the beach and played songs all evening.
The ukelele is small enough to carry in a backpack.
Word forms
| plural | ukeleles |
|---|
Common combinations
- play the ukelele
- My brother can play the ukelele and the guitar.
- strum a ukelele
- She strummed an ukelele while we sang along.
- a ukelele player
- He is a talented ukelele player.
- tune a ukelele
- You should tune your ukelele before the lesson.
Synonyms and how they differ
- ukulele
- This is the standard spelling of the same instrument; use it in writing, especially in schoolwork.
Word family
- ukuleleist noun
- A person who plays the ukulele.
Commonly confused: ukelele or ukulele? ukelele or guitar?
ukelele vs ukulele
'Ukulele' is the correct standard spelling; 'ukelele' is a frequent misspelling that dictionaries list only as a variant.
ukelele vs guitar
A guitar is a larger stringed instrument, usually with six strings, while an ukelele has four.
Practice
Which sentence uses the standard spelling of the instrument?
Choose one answer.
'Ukulele' is the standard spelling with 'u' after the 'k'. 'Ukelele' is a common variant/misspelling, and the other options are not accepted spellings.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “ukelele”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.