help me grammar nazis

[gorcorps]

Is it "a ukulele" or "an ukulele"?

The first one sounds right but I thought the rules say it's "an" because of the vowel.

 

[arrfep]

The rule follows pronunciation, which is why some people say "an historical event" when they don't pronounce the h. So "a ukulele."

 

[gorobei]

i learned the vowel rule. an historical is a modern interpretation. its mostly an effect of what in linguistics is considered a lazy tongue. consonant flap, fricative something, etc describe why words have alternate pronunciations. i.e.: tt becoming a dd sound, v becoming a b.

 

[allisolm]

I learned that it was "an" before a word beginning with a vowel SOUND (not a vowel) and "a" before everything else. Thus "an" honor but "a" halloween. Ukulele starts with a "y" sound so it takes an "a". If it was pronounced oookulele, that would be a vowel sound and it would take an "an."

 

[Chops McGandhi]

I learned that it was "an" before a word beginning with a vowel SOUND (not a vowel) and "a" before everything else. Thus "an" honor but "a" halloween. Ukulele starts with a "y" sound so it takes an "a". If it was pronounced oookulele, that would be a vowel sound and it would take an "an."

This

 

[IGBT]

oookulele's

 

[BoomerD]

I learned that it was "an" before a word beginning with a vowel SOUND (not a vowel) and "a" before everything else. Thus "an" honor but "a" halloween. Ukulele starts with a "y" sound so it takes an "a". If it was pronounced oookulele, that would be a vowel sound and it would take an "an."

Technically, it IS pronounced "ooh-koo-leh-le." (Not "you-ka-lai-le")

IMO, it's AN ukulele...

 

[allisolm]

Technically, it IS pronounced "ooh-koo-leh-le." (Not "you-ka-lai-le")

IMO, it's AN ukulele...

 

[Perknose]

This

+1

allisolm rawks! :thumbsup:

 

[BoomerD]

Really? Rolling your eyes at me for providing correct information?

http://www.geocities.com/~ukulele/

We all know "ukulele" is a Hawaiian word. The usual way us mainlanders say the word is "you-ka-LAI-lee". The correct pronunciation is actually "oo-koo-LEH-leh".

Just because we ha'oles butcher the pronunciation, that doesn't make "yoo-koo-lay-le" correct.

 

[zinfamous]

depends on whether you say it on the mainland, or on the island...as Boomer says.

 

[Perknose]

Next up, pronounce, Jaguar, Kuwait, and herb.

 

[SphinxnihpS]

Next up, pronounce, Jaguar, Kuwait, and herb.

Jag you were.

 

[Fenixgoon]

spelling != grammar