The pronunciation of Smaug

SidTheSloth · **Posted:** Wed Jan 15, 2014 2:50 pm

It must be decided.
How is Smaug pronounced?

I have heard it many a way and all argue their point.

Take your vote or suggest your own.
Let the voting begin...

Sithious · **Posted:** Wed Jan 15, 2014 2:58 pm

I have always said Smog (like the pollution over cities). Seeing the films has yet to change that.

Dr Grant · **Joined:** Fri Aug 03, 2012 1:50 pm **Posts:** 1339

Smowg. Always has been for me, nothing to do with the film. It's the same 'au' sound that's in Sauron.

NarsilReforged · **Joined:** Sun Sep 22, 2013 11:13 am **Posts:** 316

I'm the same as Grant.

Erunion · **Posted:** Wed Jan 15, 2014 3:22 pm

I recognize that the proper pronunciation is "Smowg." However, my laziness tends to morph this into a "Smog/Smawg."

Gandlaf the Grey · **Posted:** Wed Jan 15, 2014 3:25 pm

I read the book long ago and I pronounced it as Smorg until the film came along, but can't shift from my version.

Dead Marsh Spectre · **Posted:** Wed Jan 15, 2014 3:40 pm

Always been smorg for me. But then sauron was soar-on until Fellowship came out.

JamesR · **Posted:** Wed Jan 15, 2014 3:51 pm

For myself it was smog or smawg. Because I thought of smoke and such as he was a dragon

martinusv · **Posted:** Wed Jan 15, 2014 4:16 pm

Im dutch so the au is pronounced like sauron. As the dwarves are a kind of germanic folk I think the dwarves pronounce it the german way, with au like in sauron.

skipinnish · **Posted:** Wed Jan 15, 2014 4:29 pm

Used to say Smorg, but have been indoctrinated by the films.

Draugluin · **Posted:** Wed Jan 15, 2014 4:44 pm

Tolkien meant the au to sound like ow, same as all c's are actually hard (Celeborn is Keleborn, not Seleborn), ai is just I, so it's dunedine, not dunedane. Don't really see where you guys got "smorg" though. :lol:

Dorthonion · **Posted:** Wed Jan 15, 2014 5:03 pm

There is an element of subjective interpretation to your five options above, where regional and international pronunciations interpret the anglic-conventional spellings differently.
For example, Smowg - is the mow said as in 'mow the lawn' or sounding like now as in 'Now is the hour!'?
If it is the 'Now is the hour!' version, then that is my version and has been for 40 years.

mordor orc · **Joined:** Wed Dec 25, 2013 3:25 pm **Posts:** 58

Smawg us the way I pronounce it.

Dorthonion · **Posted:** Wed Jan 15, 2014 6:44 pm

Here's a thought: Benedict Cumberbatch plays Sherlock and Smaug. Martin Freeman plays Dr. Watson and Bilbo.
So maybe the crossover line between the two worlds could be 'The Flame is on'...

Smawg sounds too much like pollution....

Hill-Troll · **Posted:** Wed Jan 15, 2014 6:57 pm

Smowg as in now of course... Always like Tolkien intended it.
Who the hell says shmoog?

Dead Marsh Spectre · **Posted:** Wed Jan 15, 2014 7:04 pm

Hill-Troll wrote:

Who the hell says shmoog?

People with the flu? lol

Highlordell · **Posted:** Wed Jan 15, 2014 11:19 pm

Afraid to say I called him Smorg since reading the book around 10 years ago. Smowg (as in now) still sounds weird to me.

Denizen · **Joined:** Sun Mar 03, 2013 8:15 pm **Posts:** 156

Always been Smawg for me. The proper way of pronouncing the 'au' in Smaug is a little bit a strange sound in Dutch so everybody I know uses "our" normal sound for 'au', being 'aw'.

rumtap · **Posted:** Wed Jan 15, 2014 11:49 pm

Dr Grant wrote:

Smowg. Always has been for me, nothing to do with the film. It's the same 'au' sound that's in Sauron.

Yes but i say Saw-ron not sow-ron (sounds like a dwarf boar rider) so i say Smorg not Smowg.

Galadrin · **Posted:** Wed Jan 15, 2014 11:58 pm

Smorg for me

When you read the book it sticks in your mind, and I just cant shift it

The pronunciation of Smaug

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