# Could we get a movement underway to change the spelling of "Yarmulke" **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 5, 2012, 7:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-we-get-a-movement-underway-to-change-the-spelling-of-yarmulke/611839 "2012-02-05T07:27:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2012, 7:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-we-get-a-movement-underway-to-change-the-spelling-of-yarmulke/611839/1 "2012-02-05T07:27:21Z")
I always thought the word “Yarmulke” is totally ridiculous. Never in my life have I ever heard anyone actually pronounce it the way it’s spelled. It’s a yamaka. Can we just have the spelling changed to “yamaka”? Please? Please please please? ---
**Author:** ![Mtgman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5a626/32.png) [@Mtgman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mtgman)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2012, 7:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-we-get-a-movement-underway-to-change-the-spelling-of-yarmulke/611839/2 "2012-02-05T07:50:43Z")
Just call it a [kipa](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kippah). It means the same thing and the spelling is no problem. Enjoy, Steven ---
**Author:** ![Farmer\_Jane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Farmer\_Jane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Farmer_Jane)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2012, 7:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-we-get-a-movement-underway-to-change-the-spelling-of-yarmulke/611839/3 "2012-02-05T07:57:41Z")
It’s a kippah. Who says _yamaka_ besides Aunt Gertrude? ---
**Author:** ![Rachellelogram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rachellelogram/32/8689_2.png) [@Rachellelogram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachellelogram)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2012, 11:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-we-get-a-movement-underway-to-change-the-spelling-of-yarmulke/611839/4 "2012-02-05T11:22:14Z")
If we get this changed, I won’t rest until knife, worcester, gloucester, and through/tough are phonetic, as well. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2012, 11:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-we-get-a-movement-underway-to-change-the-spelling-of-yarmulke/611839/5 "2012-02-05T11:54:28Z")
> [@CitizenPained](#): > > It’s a kippah. Who says _yamaka_ besides Aunt Gertrude? Don’t know where you live, but where I’ve lived, I don’t recall that I’ve ever heard it referred to as a “kippah”. It’s always been either “yarmulke” or “that beanie thing Jews wear”. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2012, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-we-get-a-movement-underway-to-change-the-spelling-of-yarmulke/611839/6 "2012-02-05T14:41:11Z")
I’ve always pronounced it the way it’s spelled . . . well, except for the time I lived in NYC. ---
**Author:** ![KneeSid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/dec6dc/32.png) [@KneeSid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneeSid)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2012, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-we-get-a-movement-underway-to-change-the-spelling-of-yarmulke/611839/7 "2012-02-05T16:05:45Z")
What about colonel ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2012, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-we-get-a-movement-underway-to-change-the-spelling-of-yarmulke/611839/8 "2012-02-05T16:16:02Z")
> [@Argent\_Towers](#): > > I always thought the word “Yarmulke” is totally ridiculous. Never in my life have I ever heard anyone actually pronounce it the way it’s spelled. It’s a yamaka. Can we just have the spelling changed to “yamaka”? Please? Please please please? I say kippah or yarmulkah. I don’t know where the r comes from and yet there it always is. ---
**Author:** ![drastic\_quench](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e36b37/32.png) [@drastic\_quench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drastic_quench)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2012, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-we-get-a-movement-underway-to-change-the-spelling-of-yarmulke/611839/9 "2012-02-05T16:19:21Z")
> [@KneeSid](#): > > What about colonel Colonel Yarmulke Carlisle? ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2012, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-we-get-a-movement-underway-to-change-the-spelling-of-yarmulke/611839/10 "2012-02-05T16:32:15Z")
So do we spell it tomaytoe or tomahtoe? ---
**Author:** ![Pyper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Pyper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pyper)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2012, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-we-get-a-movement-underway-to-change-the-spelling-of-yarmulke/611839/11 "2012-02-05T16:51:33Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > Don’t know where you live, but where I’ve lived, I don’t recall that I’ve ever heard it referred to as a “kippah”. It’s always been either “yarmulke” or “that beanie thing Jews wear”. I’ve never heard a Jewish person say “yarmulke.” They all say “kippah.” ---
**Author:** ![Rodgers01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b19c9b/32.png) [@Rodgers01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rodgers01)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2012, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-we-get-a-movement-underway-to-change-the-spelling-of-yarmulke/611839/12 "2012-02-05T18:38:05Z")
> [@Pyper](#): > > I’ve never heard a Jewish person say “yarmulke.” They all say “kippah.” How 'bout Adam Sandler in [The Hanukkah Song](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zigPOkCytoU)? ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2012, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-we-get-a-movement-underway-to-change-the-spelling-of-yarmulke/611839/13 "2012-02-05T18:51:36Z")
> [@rachelellogram](#): > > If we get this changed, I won’t rest until knife, worcester, gloucester, and through/tough are phonetic, as well. Phonetic for whom, though? And Gloucester makes a great erudite shibboleth. ---
**Author:** ![AnalogSignal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/analogsignal/32/1085_2.png) [@AnalogSignal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AnalogSignal)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2012, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-we-get-a-movement-underway-to-change-the-spelling-of-yarmulke/611839/14 "2012-02-05T18:52:45Z")
**#OccupySkullcapNomenclature** The movement has a hashtag and is gaining momentum. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2012, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-we-get-a-movement-underway-to-change-the-spelling-of-yarmulke/611839/15 "2012-02-05T18:54:41Z")
> [@Pyper](#): > > I’ve never heard a Jewish person say “yarmulke.” They all say “kippah.” Half my family is Jewish. As long as I can remember they all said yarmulke. In fact, I probably never heard it referred to as a kippah until I was about 40, and when I heard the word I had to look it up because I didn’t know what it meant. Um… regional differences? ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2012, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-we-get-a-movement-underway-to-change-the-spelling-of-yarmulke/611839/16 "2012-02-05T18:58:27Z")
I’ve heard both equally. ---
**Author:** ![NAF1138](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naf1138/32/3245_2.png) [@NAF1138](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NAF1138)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2012, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-we-get-a-movement-underway-to-change-the-spelling-of-yarmulke/611839/17 "2012-02-05T18:59:08Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > Don’t know where you live, but where I’ve lived, I don’t recall that I’ve ever heard it referred to as a “kippah”. It’s always been either “yarmulke” or “that beanie thing Jews wear”. Goyisha? I am in favor of the spelling change, and also in favor of popularizing the use of kippah amongst the gentiles. ---
**Author:** ![AnalogSignal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/analogsignal/32/1085_2.png) [@AnalogSignal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AnalogSignal)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2012, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-we-get-a-movement-underway-to-change-the-spelling-of-yarmulke/611839/18 "2012-02-05T19:02:44Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > Half my family is Jewish. As long as I can remember they all said yarmulke. In fact, I probably never heard it referred to as a kippah until I was about 40, and when I heard the word I had to look it up because I didn’t know what it meant. > > Um… regional differences? I think yarmulke is Yiddish and kippah is Hebrew. ---
**Author:** ![chappachula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d2c977/32.png) [@chappachula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chappachula)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2012, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-we-get-a-movement-underway-to-change-the-spelling-of-yarmulke/611839/19 "2012-02-05T19:05:08Z")
hey…if you can’t even pronounce yarmulke, what are you gonna call your phylacteries? In my experience, Jews who actually use their ritual items like to refer to them by Hebrew words, which they understand. Jews who don’t use 'em, call em by the complicated English words that _nobody_ can understand. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2012, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-we-get-a-movement-underway-to-change-the-spelling-of-yarmulke/611839/20 "2012-02-05T21:32:22Z")
> [@Argent\_Towers](#): > > I always thought the word “Yarmulke” is totally ridiculous. Never in my life have I ever heard anyone actually pronounce it the way it’s spelled. The Jewish people whom I know pronounce it exactly as it’s spelt. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-we-get-a-movement-underway-to-change-the-spelling-of-yarmulke/611839.md?page=2)