Original: The ukulele ( , from  ; variantly spelled ukelele in the UK), 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.
Simplified: The ukulele, 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.