3 syllables: Cha, nu, kah. Stress on Cha.
HAH-nuh-kuh
/ˈhɑnəkə/
Chanukah is pronounced HAH-nuh-kuh (/ˈhɑnəkə/). It has three syllables (Cha-nu-kah), with the stress on "Cha". Chanukah is a Jewish festival lasting eight days and nights, commemorating the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem and the miracle of the oil. It is commonly spelled Chanukah or Hanukkah, with usage varying by community. The term emphasizes dedication (chanukah) and is often pronounced with a soft ch sound and a recurring 'a' vowel pattern.
nounChanukah is a Jewish festival lasting eight days and nights, commemorating the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem and the miracle of the oil. It is commonly spelled Chanukah or Hanukkah, with usage varying by community. The term emphasizes dedication (chanukah) and is often pronounced with a soft ch sound and a recurring 'a' vowel pattern.
"During Chanukah, families light candles on the menorah each night."
"The festival of Chanukah highlights hope, resilience, and community traditions."
"Many people give gifts and play dreidel games during Chanukah."
Pronounce it as /ˌtʃɑːˈnuː.kə/ in US/UK English variants, with three syllables: CHA-nu-kah. Emphasize the second syllable. Start with a light, aspirated CH like ‘ch’ in chocolate, then a broad ‘a’ in the first stressed vowel, then a clear ‘oo’ or long ‘u’ in the second unstressed syllable before the final 'kah'. Listen for a subtle Egyptian-like back-of-the-throat initial in some communities, but in mainstream English, /ˈtʃæ.nəˌkuː.kə/ is also common. IPA: US /ˈtʃæ.nəˌkuː.kə/ or /ˌtʃɑːˈnuː.kə/; UK /ˈtʃæ.nə.kə/; AU /ˈtʃæ.nəˌkuː.kə/.
Common errors include misplacing stress (saying CHAN-uh-kah instead of CHA-nu-kah), mispronouncing the second syllable as a short ‘a’ like in cat, or reducing the final -kah to -kuh. To correct: keep the second syllable lightly stressed and the final syllable clearly articulated as ‘kah’ with an open ‘a’ or long ‘a’ depending on your accent. Use /tʃ/ at the start, a long /ɑː/ or /æ/ in the first vowel, and a crisp /uː/ or /u/ in the second syllable regardless of background.
In US English, you often hear /ˈtʃæ.nəˌkuː.kə/ or /ˌtʃɑːˈnuː.kə/. UK speakers may prefer /ˈtʃæ.nə.kə/ or /ˌtʃɑː.nəˈkə/. Australian pronunciation tends toward /ˈtʃæ nəˌkuː.kə/ with less vowel rounding and a stable final schwa-like ending. The main differences involve vowel height and rhoticity; US tends to be rhotic with clearer /r/ only in some contexts, while UK/AU tend to non-rhotic pronunciations in casual speech. Each group tends to preserve the /tʃ/ onset and the final -kah ending, with slight vowel duration differences.
The difficulty lies in the Hebrew-derived onset /tʃ/ followed by a stressed second syllable and a final open syllable that may be reduced or altered in casual speech. The sequence /tʃæ.nə.kə/ or /tʃɑːˈnuː.kə/ requires precise tongue positioning: the front-of-mouth 'ch' needs air release without over-aspiration, and the middle syllable /nə/ must be quick to keep the rhythm. Also, vowel length varies by accent, making consistent pronunciation challenging across dialects.
The root has a Hebrew/Hebraic origin meaning to dedicate. In Chanukah the initial CH sound may be realized as a palatal fricative in Hebrew; English readers often reproduce it as /tʃ/ or similar. The alignment of the two short vowels around the middle /nə/ and final /kə/ is a unique rhythm—three syllables with a light, quick middle. This combination is what makes Chanukah sound distinct across languages and settings.
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Chanukah derives from Hebrew חֲנֻכָּה (Chanukah), from the root חנַק (ḥanak) meaning to dedicate or to consecrate. In Hebrew, the word captures the act of dedication to God and rededication of the Temple after the Maccabean revolt in 165 BCE. The Greek transliteration in Jewish Greek texts influenced later Latin and European spellings. The English adoption of Chanukah/Hanukkah began in the 17th–19th centuries as Jewish communities adopted transliterations from Hebrew and Yiddish; the growing use of alternative spellings reflects the lack of a single standard in English. First known English appearances date to the 17th century, with increasing usage in the 19th and 20th centuries paralleling Jewish emancipation and diaspora communities. The etymology also informs common spellings and pronunciations: the initial ‘Ch’ is a voiceless uvular or palatal fricative in some communities, while others adapt it closer to /tʃ/ or /ˈhɑː.nə.kə/. Overall, the term centers on dedication and the miracle of oil during the rededication of the Temple.
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Words that rhyme with "Chanukah"
-kah sounds
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