# Pronunciation of Sauron



## Anamatar IV (Apr 13, 2002)

I think its "sore-on" but my friend thinks its "sar-on". Which one?


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## Dhôn-Buri-Dhôn (Apr 13, 2002)

In Appendix E, Tolkien states that 'au' is pronounced as in 'loud' or 'how'. So 'Sauron' is pronounced "SOUR-on" or "SOW-ron" (sow as in pig, not as in planting seeds).

They got this right in the movie, by the way. I have always read it as "SORE-on", but I'm trying to correct myself.


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## Lantarion (Apr 13, 2002)

Being Finnish, ahem ahem *beams with pride*, I naturally assumed that it was spelled SAU-ron because all Finish words are pronounced the same way as they are spelled. Think of the first part of the word as German: like in _fraulein_. That isn't pronounced FRAW-lain! The 'au' is not English, and the name Sauron is not English, so try not to pronounce it like English.
Another word which I can't understand why people can't pronounce is 'Isildur'. Many people, even at this forum, spell it 'Isulder'! If that is how some of you pronounce it, I'm afraid you are way off. Try saying the phrase "Is ill", but soften the 's' so it isn't like a 'z'. The -dur is said with a long 'u', and the 'r' is slightly rolled. (Not like in French, btw)


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## Hirila (Apr 14, 2002)

Sorry Pontifex, "fraulein" or rather "Fräulein" is pronounced <froiline>. There is this letter "ä" only we have. Ha ha ha  

And in the movie they do NOT pronounce it right: they say <sor-on> or <saron> (with an "a" like in <father>) and <sow-ron> would be correct.


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## Rangerdave (Apr 14, 2002)

*International Sauron*

That’s what happens when you mix British, American and Australian actors. I noticed that the Brits came closer than the rest. 

Just kidding
RD


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## Beleg Strongbow (Apr 14, 2002)

*Re: International Sauron*

I always thought it to be sor-on but now the movie changed it sow- ron. So kinow i geuss is how it is in the movie.


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## ElrondHalfelven (Apr 15, 2002)

I always assumed it was either "SAW-rin" or "SOW-ron." I personally prefer "SAW-rin" but that's just me.


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## Lindir (Apr 15, 2002)

> _Originally posted by Hirila _
> *There is this letter "ä" only we have. Ha ha ha
> *


You're not quite as unique as that, I'm afraid. We use it in Sweden as well.


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## SpencerC18 (Apr 15, 2002)

in the pronunciation guide in the sil it is pronounced sour-on


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## Lantarion (Apr 15, 2002)

> There is this letter "ä" only we have. Ha ha ha


Yes, and most of the Finnish words have the letter 'ä'! Ha ha ha! 
For example, _tyhmä_. Work that one out. 
I admit I was wrong about the spelling of 'frä..'.. Of that German word, but I can't be bothered to be accurate with such an ugly language. Yech.


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## Eithne (Apr 15, 2002)

Yeah, I think that's how you pronounce it, I dun know about the whole Finnish thing though... hell, I can't even pronounce my user name, it's from some Irish legend... kinda reminds of an elvish name though doesn't it? Ne way, I'm off the topic. Yes, I think it's Sow-ron, even though Saw-ron is way easier to pronounce


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## BelDain (Apr 15, 2002)

*Re: International Sauron*



> _Originally posted by Rangerdave _
> *That’s what happens when you mix British, American and Australian actors. I noticed that the Brits came closer than the rest.
> 
> Just kidding
> RD *



Yeah, it's kind of like not everyone would (or could?) trill the 'r's in various Eldarin words.


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## Sam_Gamgee (Apr 15, 2002)

my mom first read it like SOUR on or SOW ron so thats hwo i pronounce it


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## Hirila (Apr 16, 2002)

Sorry, you Finnish and Swedish guys, I didn`know about the Swedish and I always thought that in Finnish some of the "a"s are simply pronounced like teh German "ä" but not written that way.

And to all here: I think we all agree now that "Sauron" is pronounced <Sow-ron>, do we?


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## Lantarion (Apr 16, 2002)

Wellll.. basically, yes: but in the word 'sow' (yes, the pig) the 'o' is pronounced as an "American" a [eg. '*a*pple'], or 'ä'. But in this case the 'o' should be spelt as a 'traditional' a, like in 'g*a*rment'. It might sound a bit weird to some here (who can't pronounce! teehee ), but that's the way.


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## ILLOTRTM (Apr 16, 2002)

I couldn't have said it better myself! That's the way they pronounce it in the movie, but can SOMEBODY tell me how to pronounce 'Smeagol'? I'm dieing to know! (Oh, and I'm going to sound stupid for a moment, I'm new here, could someone explain these message boards to a big LOTR fan a bit more? She's a bit lost! )


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## Niniel (Apr 17, 2002)

I always used to think about 'dinosaur' with -on after it, so I always pronounced it as saw-ron or sour-on.


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## Lantarion (Apr 17, 2002)

Yes, Niniel, that is the common and, for lack of a better word, 'uneducated' pronounciation style. But it's alright, I only got it right 'cause I'm a Finn! 
I don't really know how to say 'Sméagol', but the accented 'e' would indicate it being spelt as it is written, with a long 'e': sort of like 'Sme-agol'. But I think that sounds silly, I've always said it 'Smee-gol'. I'm not sure how to pronounce the name because it isn't Quenya or Sindarin, and if it was 'Mannish' or the language of the Rohirrim it would be pronounced really wierdly, like _Glæmscrafu_!!  (btw, the 'æ' would have a 'hat' on it)


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## Niniel (Apr 18, 2002)

Since I am Dutch, I am used to pronouncing words the way they are written (it seems you Finnish guys do that as well), and that would make Sméagol sound as: Smee-aagol, with both a long 'e' and a long 'a'.


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## Gary Gamgee (Apr 18, 2002)

> _Originally posted by Pontifex _
> *Being Finnish, ahem ahem *beams with pride*, I naturally assumed that it was spelled SAU-ron because all Finish words are pronounced the same way as they are spelled. Think of the first part of the word as German: like in fraulein. That isn't pronounced FRAW-lain! The 'au' is not English, and the name Sauron is not English, so try not to pronounce it like English.
> Another word which I can't understand why people can't pronounce is 'Isildur'. Many people, even at this forum, spell it 'Isulder'! If that is how some of you pronounce it, I'm afraid you are way off. Try saying the phrase "Is ill", but soften the 's' so it isn't like a 'z'. The -dur is said with a long 'u', and the 'r' is slightly rolled. (Not like in French, btw) *



I completely agree, this is the correct way to pronoucne it. In the appendices Tolkien says for the vowel u it should be pronounced like oo as in pool, and that vowels should be pronouced individually. Making it Sa-ooron or like that Fraw.


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## Dhôn-Buri-Dhôn (Apr 19, 2002)

> _Originally posted by Gary Gamgee _
> *
> 
> I completely agree, this is the correct way to pronoucne it. In the appendices Tolkien says for the vowel u it should be pronounced like oo as in pool, and that vowels should be pronouced individually. Making it Sa-ooron or like that Fraw. *


Not so, Gary. In Appendix E, Tolkien explicitly states that 'au' is a dipthong (two vowels pronounced as a single sound), and that it is pronounced like 'sour'. See my first post in this thread (the second post overall).

This assumes, of course, that the name 'Sauron' is derived from Quenya, which is the language Tolkien is describing.

Now, that being said, I think we can relax a bit and pronounce the name pretty much however we like. After all, M-E contains many peoples speaking many languages, and (no doubt) numerous dialects of each language. So no matter how we pronounce something, there would probably have been _somebody_ in M-E pronouncing it that way!


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