Type “pronounce tolkien” into Google, and you’ll find a lively debate on how to pronounce the surname of the beloved author of The Lord of the Rings.
There are two main camps. One insists on “tol-kenn,” which is the most common American pronunciation. The other will argue that “Tolkien” is a German name, properly pronounced “Tolk-een.” This seems to be the most popular pronunciation in Britain.
They’re both wrong.
Just as New Line Pictures ignores the actual Tolkien family (allegedly), so do those participating in this debate. Check out interviews with Tolkien’s descendants, and listen to how they pronounce their own family name: “Toll-kee-en.”
It’s three syallables, but the last two are run together. It’s almost how a Japanese person would say “kyen” – “Tol-kyen.”
This site gets it right -- listen to the audio file.
You can hear Tolkien’s grandson Adam pronounce his name on this video, at 00:01:50. It sounds almost – almost – like “Tol-keen,” but the third syllable is there. Note that the newscaster at the beginning says “Tol-kenn,” but gets it right at 00:04:37. The woman doing the voice over says “Tol-keen.”
Unfortunately, everyone in this video (discussing the release of Children of Húrin) mispronounces “Húrin.” Sometimes you just can’t win.
Comments
<i>There are two main camps. One insists on “tol-kenn,” which is the most common American pronunciation. The other will argue that “Tolkien” is a German name, properly pronounced “Tolk-een.” This seems to be the most popular pronunciation in Britain.
They’re both wrong.</i>
No, they're not. J.R.R. Tolkien wrote to a correspondent in 1972 that he does, in fact, pronounce his own name with the syllable -keen (letter #347). His descendants may pronounce it differently, but the best way to pronounce it is the way the Tolkien himself did. In addition to evidence from the author himself, Professor Arne Zettersten, who knew Tolkien personally over a period of years, pronounces it Tol-keen. And moreoever, this makes perfect sense, because the Germanic etymology makes the name, essentially, <i>dull-keen</i>, something of which Tolkien was well aware. He even puns on this in some of his writing.
This is a neat find, Erik! Yes, I've been pronouncing it wrong all these years, myself. Thanks!
this is interesting. how are u sure?
i might have been pronouncing it wrong all my life!
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