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 . The ukulele , ( ; from ; variantly spelled ukelele in the UK ) , sometimes abbreviated to 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 .