How do you pronounce...?

[Castellan]

I know this is a topic that people come back to from time to time, but I'm wondering about a pronunciation issue.

How do you pronounce Illithid?

Do you pronounce it Illithid? Or Illithid?

We're having a battle of the pronunciations in our gaming sessions, and I'd like to see what other people say.

Our typical gaming sessions recently have gone like this:

DM: Okay, you've gotten into the Illithid's secret laboratory. It appears to be empty. What would you like to do?

Players: Let's look around and see if the Illithid has anything we can use against him.

DM: Well, the Illithid has a large metal box on his desk. It looks locked.

Players: We need to be careful. Illithids can be pretty tricky. It might be trapped.

DM: Aaarrrrggghhh! It's Illithid!!!

Players: Yeah, so anyway, where's this Illithid guy at, anyway?

So, what do you say? I'm perfectly happy to change what I say, as long as I'm saying it "right."

Thanks

 

[demiurge1138]

Well, I've always heard it and said it illithid, but illithid might be right. Of course, if it's really a problem, you could just say mind flayer

Demiurge out

 

[the Jester]

Il-LITH-id is how I've always heard and pronounced it.

But maybe they're tampering with my mind...

 

[WayneLigon]

Usually we pronounce it 'Sweet Baby Jesus, get it's tentacles outta my head!'

Seriously, I've only ever heard it as Ill ithid.

 

[shurai]

Well, it thould be obviouth that illithid ith pronounthed illithid, given that the definithen of it ith in any dicthenary:

Main Entry: il·lic·it
Pronunciation: (")i(l)-'li-s&t
Function: adjective
Etymology: Latin illicitus, from in- + licitus lawful -- more at LICIT
Date: 1506
: not permitted : UNLAWFUL
- il·lic·it·ly adverb

 

[Berk]

always pronounced it like illithid and always heard it pronounced that way.

 

[Psychotic Dreamer]

I have always pronounced it Ill ithid, but then again I have always been known to pronounce things wrong. So my advice should be taken with a grain (or more) of salt.

 

[Deadguy]

Yup, I am gonna have to weigh in and say the stress is on the second syllable, and that's the only way I have ever heard it pronounced. I will even go so far as to say that putting the stress on the first syllable makes the word more cumbersome and it doesn't flow so easily from the tongue.

An interesting question though is: when did mindflayers first become illithids? And what's the derivation of the word?

 

[Lela]

I've always said and heard it Illithid.

But I usually say Mind Flayer instead. Why bother with the toung ties?

 

[Bonehoard Taffer]

I've always said and heard it Illithid.

But I usually say Mind Flayer instead. Why bother with the toung ties?

I have to agree. I have always liked the first edition name the best.