The JRR Tolkien Pronunciation Poll

[aco175]

Growing up it was always Tol-kin, but after seeing the movie, I can see Tol-keen.

I'm reading some of the Drizzt books and stumbling over some of the names. I can slow down and read them with the several syllables, but my mind can jumble them faster to something shorter. Like PC names, the shorter the better, or the rest of the players shorten them down. Even children get their name shortened down to a nickname.

 

[Alzrius]

I've always used a three-syllable pronunciation: Toll-kee-en, stressing the first syllable.

 

[QuentinGeorge]

As someone always keenly aware of his German ancestry as well as with a talent fir linguistics I always felt it obvious Tolkien would pronounce his name auf Deutsch, so to speak.

 

[QuentinGeorge]

The real head scratcher is his friend C S Lewis being known as Jack.

 

[Umbran]

The real head scratcher is his friend C S Lewis being known as Jack.

No head-scratcher. He had a dog he loved as a young boy, named Jacksie, who was hit by a car and killed when Lewis was 4. In his grief, he adopted the name, and would not answer to anything else, eventually softening to allow Jack.

 

[QuentinGeorge]

No head-scratcher. He had a dog he loved as a young boy, named Jacksie, who was hit by a car and killed when Lewis was 4. In his grief, he adopted the name, and would not answer to anything else, eventually softening to allow Jack.

Wait a minute....

Secret C S Lewis biopic?

 

[Ulfgeir]

A mix between 2 and mostly 3.

 

[Voadam]

In practice I say Toll Kin. If I think about it and all the letters I say Toll Keen similar to lien.

 

[Alzrius]

In practice I say Toll Kin. If I think about it and all the letters I say Toll Keen similar to lien.

You know that's not the best reference word, right?

(/ˈliːn/ or /ˈliːən/)

 

[Voadam]

You know that's not the best reference word, right?

Nah, I've only really encountered the word professionally in the legal sense as a lawyer (a mechanics lien, a lien on the house) and only ever heard it pronounced "lean".

So when looking at kien as a spelling that's been my thought process.

I'm not saying my reasons for pronouncing it any certain way are right, just that those are my ACK SHOO UHL pronunciation reasons.