# How do you pronounce "Eladrin"?



## withak (Dec 20, 2007)

Inquiring minds want to know... what's the 'right' way to pronounce the name of this new race?


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## HeavenShallBurn (Dec 20, 2007)

withak said:
			
		

> Inquiring minds want to know... what's the 'right' way to pronounce the name of this new race?



EL-ah-drin


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## Fifth Element (Dec 20, 2007)

ee-LAH-drin


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## HeinorNY (Dec 20, 2007)

ë - LAH - dreen.
"e" as in *e*gg
"la" as in f*a*ther
"drin" as in g*reen* 
That's at least how i like it, using quenya rules


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## Klaus (Dec 20, 2007)

El-a-DREEN.

Rhymes with "sell a sheen".


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## Wulf Ratbane (Dec 20, 2007)

eh LAD rin


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## Goken100 (Dec 20, 2007)

ainatan said:
			
		

> ë - LAH - dreen.
> "e" as in *e*gg
> "la" as in f*a*ther
> "drin" as in g*reen*
> That's at least how i like it, using quenya rules



While I'd always pronounced it like a normal person before, I have to say that I like this one better.  I probably won't remember to use it, but GO QUENYA just the same.


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## Wormwood (Dec 20, 2007)

Wulf Ratbane said:
			
		

> eh LAD rin



What he said.

edit: essentially Aladdin with an extra "R"


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## Festivus (Dec 20, 2007)

Klaus said:
			
		

> El-a-DREEN.
> 
> Rhymes with "sell a sheen".




I say it like Klaus says it.


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## Hussar (Dec 20, 2007)

Well, if the "in" at the end of the word is pronounced as a long E, then the emphasis would have to go there as well, since you always place the accent on the long vowel.  So, it would be e la DREEN.  

However, since this is modern English, we don't pronounce "in" with a long e.  This is English not Romaji.

So,by English standards, it would be e LAH drin, since three syllable words without a long vowel are almost always pronounced this way, with the accent on the middle syllable.  ((note that syllable is an exception to this rule.  I love English))

Also note, that Wulf's breakup of the syllables would be extremely hard to pronounce.  eh LAD rin would mean that the d and the r would not be pronounced together.

Then again, until very recently, I pronounced Drizz't to sound like drizzle with a t on the end.


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## WayneLigon (Dec 20, 2007)

Maybe I'll use eh-LAY-drin, but I'll most likely use 'Grey Elf'.


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## Thornir Alekeg (Dec 20, 2007)

Fifth Element said:
			
		

> ee-LAH-drin



 This is how I pronounce it as well.


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## RangerWickett (Dec 20, 2007)

There's no apostrophe in Drizzt. I see it often enough that I wonder if it's a joke at the expense of fantasy naming conventions, or if it's a conflation of the apostrophe in Do'Urden.

eLAHdrin.

e (as in dead)
LAH (as in Lola)
drin (rhymes with pin)

Deadlolapin.


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## Nellisir (Dec 20, 2007)

EL-f


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## Benben (Dec 20, 2007)

Wormwood said:
			
		

> What he said.
> 
> edit: essentially Aladdin with an extra "R"




Another vote for e-LAD-rin, with all short vowels.


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## Grymar (Dec 20, 2007)

Close to the second choice, but

ee-LAH-drin


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## Hussar (Dec 20, 2007)

> There's no apostrophe in Drizzt. I see it often enough that I wonder if it's a joke at the expense of fantasy naming conventions, or if it's a conflation of the apostrophe in Do'Urden.




Naw, just my complete and utter ignorance on the subject matter.  Which I willingly and gleefully admit to.  In any case, I cannot fathom how a pair of zed's gets pronounced as ess.

Otherwise, I agree with you as to how it should be said.

Oh, and one last thing:

EHN WURLD!!!!!!!!


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## RigaMortus2 (Dec 20, 2007)

HeavenShallBurn said:
			
		

> EL-ah-drin




/Agree


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## theredrobedwizard (Dec 20, 2007)

ee-LAD-rin

ee: like in green
LAD: like a small boy
rin: as in rin-tin-tin.

-TRRW
(PS: EE-EHN-wurld and TIE-fling)


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## Hussar (Dec 20, 2007)

> TIE-fling




This is what my wife does when I come home at lunchtime....

Not a race of demon spawned half breeds.


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## Slander (Dec 20, 2007)

Hussar/RW: eLAHdrin (assuming the "LAH" is the "a" sound in "lad" and not "law")


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## mhensley (Dec 20, 2007)

Sounds like excedrin to me.


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## Exquisite Dead Guy (Dec 20, 2007)

<Monty Python> It's spelled Eladrin, but it's pronounced Throat-Warbler Mangrove </Monty Python>


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## withak (Dec 20, 2007)

Exquisite Dead Guy said:
			
		

> <Monty Python> It's spelled Eladrin, but it's pronounced Throat-Warbler Mangrove </Monty Python>




I am shocked that it took 22 replies for someone to make this reference.


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## vectner (Dec 20, 2007)

I pronounce it el-DAR-in as the Tolkein intended it to be.


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## evilbob (Dec 20, 2007)

Thornir Alekeg said:
			
		

> This is how I pronounce it as well.



Me too - like theredrobedwizard spelled it out.


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## Wulf Ratbane (Dec 20, 2007)

Hussar said:
			
		

> Also note, that Wulf's breakup of the syllables would be extremely hard to pronounce.  eh LAD rin would mean that the d and the r would not be pronounced together.




How do you pronounce MIDRIFF?


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## Hella_Tellah (Dec 20, 2007)

Wormwood said:
			
		

> What he said.
> 
> edit: essentially Aladdin with an extra "R"




Me too.  And I'm from Washington State, so obviously I pronounce it the way WoTC does, which means I am excellent and right.


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## Klaus (Dec 20, 2007)

Wormwood said:
			
		

> What he said.
> 
> edit: essentially Aladdin with an extra "R"



 Well, since in Portuguese that's pronounced "al-lah-DEEN"...


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## Hella_Tellah (Dec 20, 2007)

Klaus said:
			
		

> Well, since in Portuguese that's pronounced "al-lah-DEEN"...




Ah, so in Yankee-talk, we'd say:
uh - b*u*tter
lad -  *lad*der
in - s*in*

Which is to say that my Pacific Northwest accent turns eladrin into "uhlajrin" in English.  In Spanish I pronounce eladrin as you do, with the stressed syllable at the end, but that's because Spanish has _rules _for pronunciation, rather than the nebulous guidelines of English.


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## Bishmon (Dec 20, 2007)

ee-LA-drin with the 'a' sound like in cat

The rules should really have some sort of pronunciation guide.


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## Aeolius (Dec 20, 2007)

Just say it backwards:

Nird Ale


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## Mercule (Dec 20, 2007)

Wulf Ratbane said:
			
		

> How do you pronounce MIDRIFF?




MY driff.  Why? 

Actually, eladrin = eh - LAD - rin.


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## Lurks-no-More (Dec 20, 2007)

Bishmon said:
			
		

> The rules should really have some sort of pronunciation guide.



Why, really? Establish the pronunciation once with your group, and you're set. 

And it's _obviously_ EL-ad-rin!


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## cougent (Dec 20, 2007)

Wulf Ratbane said:
			
		

> eh LAD rin



One more for this one.

There is probably a redneck variant as well though:
uh as in up
LA as in laugh
dren as in children


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## lurkinglidda (Dec 20, 2007)

It's eh-LAD-rin


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## Beregar (Dec 20, 2007)

Benben said:
			
		

> Another vote for e-LAD-rin, with all short vowels.




This has my vote too!

You english speaking people would save a lot time if you pronounced the letters as they are written and had a clear guideline how to form syllables.


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## Beregar (Dec 20, 2007)

lurkinglidda said:
			
		

> It's eh-LAD-rin




Oh noes! It's english conspiracy... even if that doesn't make sense!


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## Wulf Ratbane (Dec 20, 2007)

lurkinglidda said:
			
		

> It's eh-LAD-rin




I AM TEH WINNER!


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## Gundark (Dec 20, 2007)

L-AD-drin


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## glass (Dec 20, 2007)

Wulf Ratbane said:
			
		

> eh LAD rin



This is how I pronounce it. Or maybe EH-LAD-rin. More stress on the first sylable than on the last, but more on the middle than either.


glass.


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## glass (Dec 20, 2007)

Mercule said:
			
		

> MY driff.  Why?



Really?


glass.


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## Klaus (Dec 20, 2007)

lurkinglidda said:
			
		

> It's eh-LAD-rin



 Suggestion: pronounciation after new words ("eldarins [pronounced eh-LAD-rin] are...").


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## Mercule (Dec 20, 2007)

glass said:
			
		

> Really?




Absolutely.  At least, when I want to jerk someone's chain.  Most times I'd say "MID riff", though.


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## JohnSnow (Dec 20, 2007)

Wulf Ratbane said:
			
		

> I AM TEH WINNER!




Yup. One more vote for that pronunciation.

In dictionary.com speech, it's:

e-*lad*-rin

That e is the spelled pronunciation for "h*ea*d, *e*ver" or "w*e*t." Although, I wouldn't totally mind:

_uh_-*lad*-rin

Which would be the "_uh_" sound as in "*a*bout, anim*a*l, probl*e*m," or "circ*u*s." As distinct from the "uh" sound in "*u*p, m*o*ther," or "m*u*d." 

Ain't English fun?

The way I see it, the "dr" is mildly diphthonged, as in "adrenaline," not totally separate as it is in "midriff."

Oh, on that subject, the _Dictionary.com Unabridged_ had this to say:

mid·riff [*mid*-rif] –noun
1.	diaphragm (def. 1).
2.	the middle part of the body, between the chest and the waist.
3.	the part of a dress or bodice, usually close-fitting, that covers this part of the body.
4.	a garment that exposes this part of the body.
–adjective
5.	noting or pertaining to the middle part of the human body, the part of a garment that covers it, or a garment that exposes it.

That "i" is as in "pit," "rift," or "did."


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## I'm A Banana (Dec 20, 2007)

> How do you pronounce MIDRIFF?




I pronounce it "sexy"







> Well, since in Portuguese that's pronounced "al-lah-DEEN"...




Which is actually close to the Arabic.

Al-ad-DEEN would probably be what he was pronounced as on that particular night of the 1,001.


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## lurkinglidda (Dec 20, 2007)

JohnSnow said:
			
		

> The way I see it, the "dr" is mildly diphthonged, as in "adrenaline,"




Yes, it's a descending dipthong.

<realizes that phrase could bring on snickers>


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## Wulf Ratbane (Dec 20, 2007)

lurkinglidda said:
			
		

> Yes, it's a descending dipthong.
> 
> <realizes that phrase could bring on snickers>




It's 4:00pm on the last full workday before the holidays... 

BRING ON THE SNICKERS!

(off to the vending machine)


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## The Ubbergeek (Dec 20, 2007)

In french edition, that will be probably 'É-la-drin'


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## jhilahd (Dec 20, 2007)

HeavenShallBurn said:
			
		

> EL-ah-drin



that's what I'm thinkin' too.


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## Olgar Shiverstone (Dec 21, 2007)

"blink elf"


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## Voss (Dec 21, 2007)

High elf.  Or when I'm tired, 'Oh, gods, not another friggin' elf.'


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## The Ubbergeek (Dec 21, 2007)

I wonder - why on those topics on the web, there is always a smartarse making dumb answers?


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## Voss (Dec 21, 2007)

For the same reason that people make pointless threads on the internet, really.  It doesn't really matter how 50 odd people think eladrin should be pronounced.  And its hard to take Yet Another Poll on ENworld seriously.  The spam factor is very, very high.


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## Scribble (Dec 21, 2007)

Maybe wizards should start putting pronunciation guides in the MM...


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## the Jester (Dec 21, 2007)

ee-LAH-drin


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## Ranger REG (Dec 21, 2007)

withak said:
			
		

> Inquiring minds want to know... what's the 'right' way to pronounce the name of this new race?



What Merriam-Webster says.


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## Nyaricus (Dec 21, 2007)

e LAH drin

'e' as in 'elf'

'LAH' rhymes with 'blah'

'drin' rhymes with 'twin'

cheers,
--N


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## Orius (Dec 21, 2007)

RangerWickett said:
			
		

> eLAHdrin.
> 
> e (as in dead)
> LAH (as in Lola)
> drin (rhymes with pin)




Same here.


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## Incenjucar (Dec 21, 2007)

I just call'em "ella-drin"


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