# Author name pronunciation poll: Tolkien **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 11, 2011, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/author-name-pronunciation-poll-tolkien/602632 "2011-11-11T20:01:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Archergal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c89c15/32.png) [@Archergal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Archergal)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2011, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/author-name-pronunciation-poll-tolkien/602632/21 "2011-11-12T00:37:58Z")
The Tolkien Professor says “TOLL-keen”. I’d always pronounced it with 3 syllables (TOL-key-inn, with the last two syllables kinda elided together). Change is hard. ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2011, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/author-name-pronunciation-poll-tolkien/602632/22 "2011-11-12T00:42:59Z")
TOL-kee-EN ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2011, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/author-name-pronunciation-poll-tolkien/602632/23 "2011-11-12T01:08:35Z")
TOLL-kin ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2011, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/author-name-pronunciation-poll-tolkien/602632/24 "2011-11-12T02:08:38Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > I didn’t know it was a German name. I thought it was Elvish. ---
**Author:** ![Ignatz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/3be4f8/32.png) [@Ignatz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ignatz)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2011, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/author-name-pronunciation-poll-tolkien/602632/25 "2011-11-12T02:46:08Z")
Other - TOL-kee-en is how I say it. But my Webster’s Bio Dictionary says two syllables, accented on the first. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2011, 6:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/author-name-pronunciation-poll-tolkien/602632/26 "2011-11-12T06:20:19Z")
I heard Christopher, Tolkien’s son, say that the pronunciation was Toll-keen, with equal accent on each syllable. In this video, Adam, Tolkien’s grandson, says the word “Tolkien” at 1:50: [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/DFcjBzP7H-E/hqdefault.jpg "Interview with JRR Tolkien in 1968 and Adam Tolkien in 2007") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DFcjBzP7H-E) ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2011, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/author-name-pronunciation-poll-tolkien/602632/27 "2011-11-12T12:25:56Z")
“Tol-KEE-en” or “Tol-KEE-in” when I think about it, “TOL-kin” when I just say it offhand…and with my accent, they slur together to almost the same thing anyway, to a listener. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2011, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/author-name-pronunciation-poll-tolkien/602632/28 "2011-11-12T13:24:14Z")
Jay Are Are Tee ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2011, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/author-name-pronunciation-poll-tolkien/602632/29 "2011-11-12T16:27:43Z")
> [@BMalion](#): > > I thought it was Elvish. Ladies and gentlemen, Elvish has left the building. ---
**Author:** ![tim314](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim314/32/3468_2.png) [@tim314](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tim314)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2011, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/author-name-pronunciation-poll-tolkien/602632/30 "2011-11-12T16:40:40Z")
I simultaneously pronounce it TOLL-kin and TOLL-ken, because [ken and kin are the same syllable](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pin%E2%80%93pen_merger#Pin.E2.80.93pen_merger) ---
**Author:** ![Filbert](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/filbert/32/3433_2.png) [@Filbert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Filbert)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2011, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/author-name-pronunciation-poll-tolkien/602632/31 "2011-11-12T16:45:57Z")
Like in [this](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YvpnxjalzYU&feature=related) youtube video. ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2011, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/author-name-pronunciation-poll-tolkien/602632/32 "2011-11-12T18:43:49Z")
TOLL-KEEN, with approximately equal stress on each syllable, or perhaps with a little more stress on the first syllable. ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2011, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/author-name-pronunciation-poll-tolkien/602632/33 "2011-11-13T02:05:26Z")
Toll-kin until I looked him up in the encyclopedia in 6th grade (pre-era of internet) and they had it as something more like Toll-key-in. I think I got the Toll-kin version from some old TV commercial selling VHS copies of Rankin-Bass’s version of the Hobbit. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2011, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/author-name-pronunciation-poll-tolkien/602632/34 "2011-11-13T03:43:12Z")
I pronounce it TOL-KEN even though I quite know it’s wrong. Just like I pronounce Lawrence Durrell’s last name DYUR-ELL even thought I quite know it’s wrong. ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2011, 11:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/author-name-pronunciation-poll-tolkien/602632/35 "2011-11-13T11:23:20Z")
“THROAT-warbler-MANgrove” ? ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2011, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/author-name-pronunciation-poll-tolkien/602632/36 "2011-11-13T17:15:28Z")
> [@BMalion](#): > > “THROAT-warbler-MANgrove” ? See post 16. ---
**Author:** ![Fiddle\_Peghead](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddle_peghead/32/3506_2.png) [@Fiddle\_Peghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiddle_Peghead)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2011, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/author-name-pronunciation-poll-tolkien/602632/37 "2011-11-13T17:28:12Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > I voted “Other” as neither “kin” nor “ken” are correct. > it’s (very approximately) > TOLL - keen This is how I pronounce it, and I have absolutely no reason why. ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2011, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/author-name-pronunciation-poll-tolkien/602632/38 "2011-11-13T20:25:00Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > See post 16. Dang. ---
**Author:** ![Lust4Life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ecc23a/32.png) [@Lust4Life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lust4Life)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2011, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/author-name-pronunciation-poll-tolkien/602632/39 "2011-11-17T13:18:50Z")
I’ve always pronounced it Tol-key-en, but have heard people on t.v say Tolkeen, I a Brit. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2011, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/author-name-pronunciation-poll-tolkien/602632/40 "2011-11-17T13:23:52Z")
> [@BMalion](#): > > “token” like a game token. The love of the hobbit’s leaf has surely dulled your mind 😃 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/author-name-pronunciation-poll-tolkien/602632.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/author-name-pronunciation-poll-tolkien/602632.md?page=3)