Succot, Sukkot, Succos… but for some reason, you never see it written Sukkos.
Don’t rely on the “How to pronounce Sukkot” video on YouTube. It’s a computer voice with a British accent that is actually trying to say Sukkos. Don’t bother with this other computer-generated-Brit sound file either and for the same reason.
Accented Syllable
There is actually not an accented syllable difference between Hebrew and Americans using Sephardi pronunciation: SuKOT. When you get into American Ashkenazi-speak, the accented syllable changes: SUKkus.
A minor difference you may have noticed above: I only included one K in the Sephardi pronunciation. You don’t hear Suk-KOT, instead you hear Su-KOT. The Ashkenazi Americans have a K sound in both syllables: SUK-kus.
Hebrew Vowels
The U is pronounced “oo” as in “suit.” The O is pronounced as a long O sound, like “coat.”
American Ashkenazi Vowels
The U is pronounced “uh” like book. The second syllable is not pronounced like “us” the word, but it’s very close. I can’t think of an English word, but there is the Yiddish word shtus (silliness, nonsense, stupidity, junk/crap as a value judgment). Maybe this vowel sound doesn’t exist in English…
But whatever you do, don’t pronounce it “suck-it.” That’s one of my favorite “Oh no, what did I say?!” moments ever, and this time, it wasn’t me!
On many calendars it's spelled Succoth, and I grew up (with no Jews around) thinking it was pronounced SUCK-ith. Worst. Ever.
But that's so Shakespearean! Fancy!
Thanks for trying to clear up the problem but since when does the "oo" in the English word "book" sound like "uh"?
I assume you are trying to make a distinction between the "oo" in a word like "loop" and the "oo" in book but I don't think "uh" is accurate or helpful. Normally I wouldn't say anything but the pronunciation of Sukkot is already confusing enough. I'm 50 years old and from a Jewish family and I don't think I've ever heard a definitive pronunciation of Sukkot from anyone, ever.