A Tolkien Pronunciation Guide:
Lord of the Rings – A Singer's Guide to the Languages of Middle Earth
Compiled by Alice Valantine Beckstrom ©2004






Rules for Vowels:
Hint: for unstressed vowels, use Roman-Latin pronunciation and no diphthongs 



Unstressed or Unaccented Vowels:
a (ah) as in blah or bought 
e (eh) as in bed or pled  
i (ih) pronounced as the English peat, but shorter; French lit; German vital. 
o is roughly English (but not American!) pot; French comme; German Topf. 
u is the sound of boot, but shorter; French ou; German Uran. 
y in Sindarin only, this is a vowel, pronounced like the vowel i


The long vowels are pronounced thus: 
á, í, ú: just like the short vowels, but longer! (About twice as long, if you want a guide figure, but just do whatever your own 
language does.) 
é is pronounced a little `closer' than e. The first part of the diphthong in English may; a long version of French é; or German Tee
ó is similarly pronounced closer than o. English paw (but closer); French hôte; German Sohn. 
ý, In Sindarin, as in i but hold longer.
(When a circumflex accent is used, pronounce it the same but hold it even longer)


Exceptions/ Diphthongs / Diaeresis:
Exceptions:
There are 3 exceptions pertaining to vowels when preceded by the letter "r": er (like English air, German mehr), ir (like English ear, 
German bier), ur (like English tour, German fur).  
Diphthongs: 
    Quenya has a set of six diphthongs (note that all other pairs of vowels should be pronounced separately). They are: ai, oi, ui, au, 
eu, iu. In each case, pronounce the first vowel strongly, and glide into the second (except for iu, where is it also acceptable to glide 
from a weak i to a strong u -- that is a Third Age pronunciation). 
    Sindarin also has a set of six diphthongs. They are: ai, ae, ei, oe, ui, au. The same pronunciation rules apply to these diphthongs.
Diaeresis:
Tolkien used the diaeresis sign in order to remind English speakers that the vowel should always be pronounced at the end of words 
(as in aurë), and, that combinations such as ea are two sounds (as in Aldëa, or hís), not a diphthong. Since this is completely 
unnecessary, it's usual not used in articles on Tolkienian linguistics.




Rules For Consonants
Hint: think Roman-Latin for Elvish & Adûniac; German-Latin for Khuzdûl, 
Rohirric & Black Speech, making BS very harsh, aspirated and dark.

*Sindarin consonants change when as the initial consonant it is preceded by 
the article i (the), preposition na (to, toward) or certain prefixes.



                     Quenya, Sindar (both Elvish) & Adûniac          Khuzdûl (Dwarvish), Rohirric & Black Speech (Language of Mordor)

Bas in bat (*Sindarin: sometimes changes to V)               Voiced and plosive

Cas in car (*S: sometimes changes to G)         Spelled with a K

CH        as in Bach                                Spelled with a KH

Das in dog (*S: sometimes softens to TH)

DH       as in these (also like a Spanish D)

Fwhen at the end of a word, change to V                              Unvoiced spirant (Rohirric – change to V when in middle of word)

G          as in gate (*S: sometimes softens to H, except see NG)       Usually silent

GH       N/A                                       Voiced spirant

Has in house

HLLH           unvoiced L                          Rohirric: unvoiced L

HT        as in German acht, except when after E or I then German ich        As the German, acht
(S: N/A)

HW       unvoiced as in white        Rohirric: unvoiced W as in high

HYunvoiced Y as in huge

K, KH   N/A                       heavily aspirated

Lsoft as in let                  lateral as in loathe

Mas in man (*S: sometimes changes to V)                  add nasal

Nas in neigh                    add nasal

NG       as in finger, except at end of word: as in singer

Pas in pat (*S: sometimes changes to B)

PH        f, but in middle of word: ff

QU       as in quote                   Rohirric: spelled CW instead of QU

Ralways flipped or rolled       Khuzdûl & BS: a heavily rolled back or uvular R

RH        unvoiced R (S: voice the R and add H)

Ss as in geese (exception: SH as in sheep)        unvoiced spirant (Rohirric: Z when in middle of word)

SC       N/A                        Rohirric: as in sheep

Tas tan (*S: sometimes changes to D)              Khuzdûl: aspirated

TH        cloththink                 Khuzdûl: aspirated stop

TY        similar to the T in tune

Yas in you (*S: it becomes a vowel)

ZN/A                 Sound of the English Zed


* Double consonants such as LL, NN, SS, TT are held longer 






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