Can you spell 'Hanukkah'? Sure, any way you want

Having pondered the question "What's up with all the different English spellings of Hanukkah?," we have one thing to say: Thank goodness Scrabble prohibits proper nouns.

The Jewish holiday, an eight-day celebration beginning at sundown today, is commonly spelled "Hanukkah," "Chanukah" and "Hanukah." Less familiar spellings include "Khanukah" and "Ckanukka."

You'd think there'd be a reason — historical references, regional differences, something, anything — to explain why one of the most oft-used words this time of year has more incarnations than there are candles (nine) on the menorah.

But the variations don't come from the Hebrew word — it's been the same for hundreds of years. It means "dedication," referring to the rededication of the Jerusalem temple in 164 B.C.

Hebrew scholars and even the most persnickety of English-language pundits concur: Spelling the word in English depends entirely on phonetic preference.

The "miracle of Hanukkah" refers to the story of the lamp flame that lasted eight days after the Maccabees, a Hebrew tribe, reclaimed their desecrated temple from the Syrians. The Maccabees used what little olive oil they could find as they repaired and rededicated their temple — approximately one day's worth — but the flame persisted.

The question of how best to spell "Hanukkah" in English incites first a chuckle, then a pause, then something like: "That's a tricky one" from editors at Merriam Webster, the Associated Press Stylebook and even local rabbis.

"Every time I spell it, I think I spell it different," said Linda MacDonald, who is Jewish and works at Tree of Life Judaica and Books in Ravenna.

Paul Burstein, a professor in the Jewish Studies Program at the University of Washington, says those proficient in Hebrew really don't care or insist on a single English spelling of "Hanukkah." It's the Hebrew spelling that matters.

Mostly, the confusion lies in that first guttural sound — a throaty mix of "k" and "h" similar to the sound at the end of the slang word "yech," said Rabbi Ted Falcon, from the Bet Alef Meditative Synagogue in Seattle and Bellevue.

There's the "k" sound in the middle. And finally, do you need that last "h?" Again, depends on preference.

It's a common problem when transliterating words from a language without the Roman alphabet into English, Burstein added. People guess how to communicate the word phonetically.

This isn't always the case — the different phonetic spellings of "Sabbath" have regional ties. Some Orthodox Jews with ancestors from Eastern Europe tend to go with "Shabbos." Most everyone else pronounce and spell the word as "Shabbat," Burstein said.

The different spellings of "Kabbalah" have religious significance. "Qabalah" indicates a scholarly or Christian rendering of the Hebrew alphabet, Falcon said, while "Kabbalah" indicates a Jewish transliteration.

James Lowe, senior editor at Merriam Webster, in Springfield, Mass., said the version in their dictionary is "Hanukkah."

Editors at Merriam Webster decide on spellings of words by reading magazines and newspapers from around the country and other parts of the world where English is spoken. They look for how a word is most often spelled, Lowe said. For "Hanukkah," it's "Hanukkah," "Chanukah" and "Hanukah."

Personally, Lowe sticks with "Chanukah."

"Because the first sound is like a guttural sound," he said. "If you see the 'H' [Hanukkah], you're not gonna pronounce it that way. But if you see the "Ch," maybe you will."

Rabbi Falcon agrees; he spells it "Chanukkah." (He uses two k's to represent the double strength of the Hebrew letter.) But there's the danger of pronouncing the "Ch" the way you'd pronounce the same letters in "church," which Falcon has encountered.

The Associated Press Stylebook, widely used as the final source on spelling matters by newspapers and magazines, goes with "Hanukkah."

"It's really debatable, but that's the one we decided on," said Norm Goldstein, editor of the Stylebook in New York. "We have looked at it again and stayed with it."

Microsoft Word's spellchecker recommends "Hanukkah," "Hanukah" or "Chanukah."

The Google search engine works well with "Chanukah" and "Hanukkah," but will ask "Did you mean Hanukkah?" if you attempt to search with just one "k."

John D. Williams Jr., executive director of the National Scrabble Association in Greenport, N.Y., mused that if "Hanukkah" were allowed in the game, people would be thrilled: "There are many different ways to spell it — and a lot of high-value tiles."

Young Chang: 206-748-5815 or ychang@seattletimes.com