Today’s post is all about the “controversy” about the spelling of the word Hanukkah. Or Chanukah. Or Hanuka. Or…well, you get the idea.
Everyone wonders what the “correct” spelling is, and there’s a pretty simple answer.
In Hebrew, there is only one:
חנוכה
In English, there are no “correct” or “incorrect” ways to spell it, because it’s all up to the person transliterating it. Because a couple of the Hebrew letters have a few different options (the main one being that the beginning of the word Hanukah can have the “h” sound, or the “ch” sound, as in the last part of the word “Blech!”), the different spellings come oozing out of the woodwork.
Isn’t it great to find something about which you cannot be wrong, no matter how hard you try?
The most popular spelling (BY FAR) is Hanukkah, with second place going to Chanukah. However you spell it, make sure there’s a Happy at the beginning*!
*Wow, was that corny or what???
8 Comments
Dea
I love the tag for the post, btw…LOL!
And the corny – awww…
The transliterating makes pronunciation difficult too, I would imagine. I think that is the main difficulty that people who don’t know another alphabet have with words that are transliterated. They don’t understand that huge difference. It’s the same with Arabic, and with Russian and Greek, ya know? 😀
I like the Hanukkah spelling, myself – you should do a poll on that one…for all us goyum….hehehe…
melissa
happy c(h)anuk(k)a(h)!!
it’s been a LONG time!!
have a happy and healthy holiday season!!
xo,
melissa
(formerly known as such simple pleasures)
Movie Maven
The LeeVees even wrote a song it: How Do You Spell Channukkahh? Just posted it to my blog today:
http://moviemavengal.blogspot.com/2008/12/how-do-you-spell-channukkahh.html
Their album Hanukkah Rocks! is very fun, and it’s so nice to have fun Hanukkah music that isn’t those two songs – Dreidl and Oh, Chanukah!
Mel
Michelle
Yeah but then there’s me who ALWAYS wants to spell it Haunukkah and looks at it going that’s so not right but I till want to leave that extra “u” in there 🙂
Melisa
Deanna: Good idea! Maybe when my other polls close…
Melissa! Thanks for stopping by! Happy Hanukkah to you, too!
MovieMaven: I’m going over to check it out…
Michelle: That’s okay, you keep your two “u”s in there. It’s not wrong! 🙂
NukeDad
Chappy Chanukkah!
Melisa
Nukedad: Murray Kissmoose!
Kim M.
Roger the no “merry Hanukkah”.