ukulele

American  

[yoo-kuh-ley-lee, oo-koo-ley-ley] / ˌyu kəˈleɪ li, ˌu kʊˈleɪ leɪ /

Or ukelele

noun

1. a small, guitarlike musical instrument associated chiefly with Hawaiian music.

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ukulele British  

/ ˌjuːkəˈleɪlɪ /

noun

1. a small four-stringed guitar, esp of Hawaii

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ukulele Cultural  

1. A small guitar, developed in Hawaii, with four strings.

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Etymology

Origin of ukulele

1895–1900, < Hawaiian ʿukulele leaping flea ( ʿuku flea + lele to jump, leap), a nickname given to British army officer Edward Purvis (who popularized the instrument at the court of King Kalakaua), in reference to his lively playing style

Explanation

The happy little Hawaiian stringed instrument that looks like a small guitar is a ukulele. Most ukuleles have four strings and are light enough to be strummed by anyone, including kids. The ukulele, or uke, as it's frequently called for short, comes in four standard sizes: soprano, concert, tenor, and baritone, and even more less-common variations. The larger the uke, the deeper and louder its sound. Some ukuleles are even double-strung, with a total of eight strings. A good ukulele player's fingers move extremely fast, which explains its name, which means "leaping flea" in Hawaiian.

Example Sentences

He attended a selective public high school, wrote songs and played guitar, keyboards and ukulele.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 2, 2026

However, by the time he left the shop, he had bought a guitar, a ukulele and another piece of equipment.

From BBC • Jan. 19, 2026

First loudly, with a ukulele, to convince her early-20th-century immigrant dad to spring for swimming lessons; later, softly, to herself as she prepares to become the first woman to swim across the English Channel.

From New York Times • May 30, 2024

Cortez’s parents came up with the idea of steel guitar lessons, thinking they might improve his performance in his Hawaiian music ensemble, where he plays the ukulele.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2024

Apollo sighed and went back to playing his ukulele.

From "Blood of Olympus" by Rick Riordan