The
oud (; , plural:
; ,
Syriac: ,
; ; ; ;
; Azeri:
ud; or
kaban) is a
pear-shaped stringed instrument commonly used in
Persian,
Arabic,
Greek,
Turkish,
Jewish,
Byzantine,
Azerbaijani,
Armenian,
North African (
Chaabi, Classical, and Spanish
Andalusian),
Somali and
Middle Eastern music. Construction of the oud is similar to that of the
lute. The modern oud and the European
lute both descend from a common ancestor via diverging paths. One instrument that has been suggested as ancestral is the
Barbat. The oud is readily distinguished from the lute by its lack of
frets and smaller neck. Alongside the lute, it is considered an ancestor of the
guitar.