# How do you pronouce "Cthulthu"? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 8, 2009, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronouce-cthulthu/484881 "2009-02-08T03:09:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2009, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronouce-cthulthu/484881/21 "2009-02-08T12:37:46Z")
> [@brossa](#): > > ISTR reading once that it was pronounced the same way that a dog would say it, or words to that effect. Great, now I’m imagining it being spoken by Scooby-Doo: “Ruh-roh! Chthuru!” ---
**Author:** ![Terrifel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c68b51/32.png) [@Terrifel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terrifel)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2009, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronouce-cthulthu/484881/22 "2009-02-08T12:49:35Z")
> [@Lightray](#): > > Ah, how I miss my favorite Call of Cthulu investigator – Cholmondeley Featherstonehaugh, linguistics professor at Miskatonic U. Of the Leominster Featherstonehaughs, or the Worcester Featherstonehaughs? ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2009, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronouce-cthulthu/484881/23 "2009-02-08T13:21:46Z")
> [@elfkin477](#): > > I go with Kuh-thoo-loo Talk about Dates Your Father Wouldn’t Approve Of!! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2009, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronouce-cthulthu/484881/24 "2009-02-08T13:43:38Z")
> [@Malacandra](#): > > Funny you should ask that, I just found a really interesting old book in a junkshop yesterday and I’ve been letting the pages dry out a little - it’s as funky as hell! - and one of the early chapters covers pronunciation of obscure Old God names. It’s amazing what people find the time to write down, it really is. Anyway, here goes… > > Not that I can capture the sound on keyboard anyway, but let me tell you, that sounded odd. Resonant, as if it were reverberating all the way to the stygian depths of the abyssal plain or even some ocean trench. You should try - wait, what’s that? > > AARRGGHH!!! WTF getitoffm–elpitsclawinmifaecoffogod… > , > > a fadf > aqwert34 > 3t45 f > > 5egf0=987dfv > sdf097dsf > > . > > .. > .. > .. > . > > NO CARRIER That’s to be expected when you access the Interwebs using Pickman’s Modem. ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2009, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronouce-cthulthu/484881/25 "2009-02-08T14:02:29Z")
Every person I know, including me, pronounces it ‘‘CUH - THOOL – WHO’’ Very similar to everyone else here, but with that hard ‘‘h’’ at the end. ---
**Author:** ![Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b38774/32.png) [@Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Attack_from_the_3rd_dimension)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2009, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronouce-cthulthu/484881/26 "2009-02-08T15:57:01Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > Great, now I’m imagining it being spoken by Scooby-Doo: > > “Ruh-roh! Chthuru!” It turns out it wasn’t Chthulhu, though, it was the boat captain, dressed up in a latex mask and costume. He would have gotten away with it, if not for those meddling kids. ---
**Author:** ![Lightray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightray/32/391_2.png) [@Lightray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightray)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2009, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronouce-cthulthu/484881/27 "2009-02-08T17:17:34Z")
> [@Terrifel](#): > > Of the Leominster Featherstonehaughs, or the Worcester Featherstonehaughs? He just told everyone he was of the St.-John Featherstonehaughs. ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2009, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronouce-cthulthu/484881/28 "2009-02-08T20:30:02Z")
K’thoo-loo. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2009, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronouce-cthulthu/484881/29 "2009-02-08T20:40:42Z")
Until reading about how Lovecraft pronounced it a few years ago, I’d always considered it was pronounced K’t[sup]h[/sup]oo-l[sup]h[/sup]oo – the k being not a separate syllable but a /k/ sound prefixed to the /tu/ syllable, and the -th- being an aspirated t, not a theta sound – like “wethead” said quickly, if you will. However, the author gets to define how his names are pronounced – so all of us with /kth/ or /kt/ sounds are, so to speak, as cthuless as Alicia Silverstone’s movie. ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2009, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronouce-cthulthu/484881/30 "2009-02-08T21:17:16Z")
> [@3trew](#): > > “Knock knock.” > > “Who’s there?” > > “Cthul.” > > “Cthul who?” > > This is the way the world ends, this is the way the world ends, this is the way the world ends, not with a bang but a knock knock. priceless ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2009, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronouce-cthulthu/484881/31 "2009-02-08T21:49:18Z")
> [@Polycarp](#): > > Talk about Dates Your Father Wouldn’t Approve Of!! 😃 Honestly, with my dad, the approval would hinge on how he voted. A demon-god who is a social conservative would probably pass muster, but demon-god who voted for dirty liberals? I’d be disowned! ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2009, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronouce-cthulthu/484881/32 "2009-02-08T23:09:58Z")
I say cha-thoo-loo. It’s just one of those words I don’t really care how it’s supposed to be pronounced because whoever came up with it was being a jerk about spelling anyway. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2009, 6:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronouce-cthulthu/484881/33 "2009-02-09T06:16:16Z")
Who knows what’s correct, but I’ve always gone with: K-Thool-Hoo. But the fact that the question was asked, is a testament to how cool this board is! Ever heard of Beatallica? A Beatles/Metallica tribute band with lots of H.P. Lovecraft references? From “The Thing That Should Not Let It Be”: “…hybrid children watch the sea…” [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lz1PtyYCrZQ](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lz1PtyYCrZQ) ---
**Author:** ![Yorikke](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yorikke/32/4335_2.png) [@Yorikke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yorikke)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2009, 6:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronouce-cthulthu/484881/34 "2009-02-09T06:26:55Z")
K’thooloo. More or less. Joe ---
**Author:** ![Jodi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7feea3/32.png) [@Jodi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jodi)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2009, 6:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronouce-cthulthu/484881/35 "2009-02-09T06:37:27Z")
k’THOO-loo. And not being a Lovecraft fan, it’s a term I only know from the Boards and doubt I’ve ever heard spoken IRL. Lucky for me, apparently, given the world-ending potential of the correct pronunciation. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronouce-cthulthu/484881.md?page=1)