The ukulele -LRB- , from ; variantly spelled ukelele in the LOCATION@1 -RRB- , sometimes abbreviated as the uke , is a chordophone classified as a plucked lute ; it is a subset of the guitar family of instruments , generally with four nylon or gut strings or four courses of strings .

The ukulele -LRB- -RRB- , also called the uke for short , is a chordophone classified as a plucked lute ; it part of the guitar family of instruments , usually with four strings or four courses of strings .
