Which is correct- "Hanukkah" or "Chanukah?"?

I know this!!!! I asked tali this recently. Chanukah is actually the correct form but it’s known better as Hanukkah in America because many cannot pronounce the “Ch” sound. Happy Chanukah to you :)

Officially, it’s חֲנֻכָּה or חנוכה—whether or not you put in the C depends upon how you transliterate the characters.

The pronunciation has a bit of a “clearing your throat” sound that a lot of Americans can’t do (like PnL up there says), but the dumbed down H- beginning works just fine. People know what you mean either way.

It’s just a transliteration from the Hebrew, but in its original form, as written by laureth above, the first letter of the word is a “ch” sound, not a “h” sound.

That’s what I was thinking, but I’ve seen Hanukkah so much that I wanted to be sure. Thanks PnL, laureth, and quark! =)

Both are correct. I’m pretty sure even though I am Catholic.
Isn’t there another term, too?

It’s spelled C H R I S T M A S.

We’re not talking about that, simone.

Either. Or…the Festival of Lights.

The “ch” is the sound at the end of “Bach.” You have to spray and gargle a little. (or Van Gogh when pronounced correctly. Or, in German, ach.)

Either way you spell it enjoy it starting tonight with your latkes!!

Next debate should be, do you like your latkes with applesauce or with sour cream??!!

And remember to read the Hebrew (that Laureth so kindly provided) from right to left. The “Ch”... חֲ... is at the far right.

I wrote it last year as Chanukah in some print ads I did for work and received complaints from 2 Jewish customers. They said it was incorrect.

I explained it to them as PnL stated above (I had done my research).

They said, “Well we’re not that Jewish”.

Huhbuwha?

@blondie: I love them any way at all!

I think someecards got it right.

As long as it has a big ball of phlem, its ok

Both are correct – transliterations of the Hebrew. I usually spell it Chanukah. As mentioned above by gailcalled, the “ch” sound is similar the “ch” in “Bach”. In Latin America, my Jewish friends write it “Janukah” since the “J” sound in spanish is similar to the “ch” in Hebrew (think of the sound that the J makes in a spanish name like “Javier”).

occ, it’s still be written with a j in spanish, even if they’re pronouncing it with a straight up ‘h’ sound and no ‘ba ch’ at all)

I can pronounce Ch @PnL – it’s pronounced Ch- like chopped liver.

There is no ח sound (often represented linguistically as KH or X even) in English, thus writing it Ch or H makes no difference.