How is "Cthulhu" pronounced?

[Dr.Epic]

The two most recent episodes of South Park have everybody's favorite Eldritch abomination, and they pronounce the "th" in Cthulhu like one pronounces the "t" in "turtle." At first, I thought it was just supposed to be an expy (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/Expy). I don't know, I just thought they didn't want to use the real thing, but then I saw that the spelling was the same on the show. I always thought that the "th" was pronounced like the "th" in "bath." I've heard a lot of my friends and other sources from pop culture pronounce it like the latter. Which is the correct pronunciation?

[golentan]

Neither. The dread lord Cthulhu's true name cannot be expressed with your puny euclidean vocal cords. :smalltongue:

I always said it "Ka-Thool-Hoo."

[Fjolnir]

I think it's pronounced KT-hoo-lyoo but I could be wrong mistaken

[Amiel]

Apparently the real pronunciation is quite guttural glottal, being unreasonably formed for mortal mouths, as it were. I think likening it to the evocation of phlegm may help you some.
I've always pronounced it as koo-thule-lew.

[Kris Strife]

With a New England accent. :smallwink:

[Worira]

Exactly like it's spelled.

[otakuryoga]

i have always just pronounced it "MASTER" :smallamused:

[chiasaur11]

i have always just pronounced it "MASTER" :smallamused:

Not the best idea. English names feel degrading to these things, don't ask me why. And they're bad at peaceful discussions of hurt feelings.

As for the topic at hand?

It's fairly simple to tell. If brave men do not grow faint at the utterance and the less steely nerved fail to faint, you're pronouncing it wrong.

Note: Conan the Cimmerian does not count as a brave man or less steely nerved for the purposes of this discussion. He falls, along with a small number of others, into "Ultimate Badass" territory, and may merely punch you and laugh.

[Lycan 01]

I noticed that everyone in the episode pronounced it "Ka-Too-Loo" except for one person - the cult leader. When he first showed up, he pronounced it "Ka-Thoo-Loo," which is the proper* way according to the H. P. Lovecraft Historical Society and Chaosium Games, who produce the Cthulhu roleplaying games. I had actually been annoyed up until that point about the way they were saying it, but that scene made me crack up, even if they didn't mean for him to get it right.





*Actually, they say that its not the "proper" way since there are tons of ways to say it, some more right than others, but the "official" and generally accepted way is Ka-Thoo-Loo.

[Amiel]

I think Lovecraft himself pronounced Cthulhu as "Khlûl'-hloo" (IPA: [ˈχɬʊl.ɬuː] ?) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cthulhu)
?Even the subtitles are saying WTH.

[Dr.Epic]

Well, even if there are a ton of ways to pronounce it, it does seem that the "th" sound rather than the "t" sound is the accepted norm and that kind of bugged me throughout the two episodes. Granted, a name like Cthulhu would probably confuse most people how to pronounce it, but I think the "th" sound would be pretty obvious. They got the rest of it right.

[Lycan 01]

I think that's the joke, though. Like I said, the cultist guy got it right. Everyone else pronounces it wrong. Either the voice actor for the cultist happened to "mispronounce" it in that one scene, or that's a planned joke.

They got really in depth with a lot of the Mythos stuff. I was amazed at some of the jokes they made. I'm sure that somewhere along the line, somebody at Comedy Central saw how Cthulhu was properly pronounced. XD

[Dr.Epic]

I think that's the joke, though. Like I said, the cultist guy got it right. Everyone else pronounces it wrong. Either the voice actor for the cultist happened to "mispronounce" it in that one scene, or that's a planned joke.

I don't really think either makes sense. The didn't correct anyone else so I doubt it's a mispronunciation. And as a joke, I don't really get it: it's not that funny, clever, or really anything other than a mild annoyance. I mean the song with Cartman flying on Cthulhu would have been awesome, but they pronounce the "th" as a "t" sound.

[Eldan]

I've always just pronounced it as written.

K-t-hoo-l-hoo.

Never understood why everyone seems to insert another vowel between the first two consonants.

[Lhurgyof]

The two most recent episodes of South Park have everybody's favorite Eldritch abomination, and they pronounce the "th" in Cthulhu like one pronounces the "t" in "turtle." At first, I thought it was just supposed to be an expy (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/Expy). I don't know, I just thought they didn't want to use the real thing, but then I saw that the spelling was the same on the show. I always thought that the "th" was pronounced like the "th" in "bath." I've heard a lot of my friends and other sources from pop culture pronounce it like the latter. Which is the correct pronunciation?

His name is unpronouncable by humans.

But, I pronounce it both ways- Katooloo and Kathooloo. Either way is technically correct.

Although I guess they're both incorrect.
The th can make the tradition th sound, or it could just be a t sound followed by an -hulhu sound, if that makes sense.

[Obrysii]

I pronounce it "Kaa-Thuu-Luu"

[kamikasei]

I've always just pronounced it as written.

K-t-hoo-l-hoo.

Never understood why everyone seems to insert another vowel between the first two consonants.
How are you pronouncing "k-t" without effectively inserting a (neutral) vowel in there yourself?

[hamishspence]

Maybe like "Ker" but shortened?

Might sound almost like a cross between a cough and a sneeze?

"Kth-ulu"

[Eldan]

How are you pronouncing "k-t" without effectively inserting a (neutral) vowel in there yourself?

Uhm... "Kt"? No idea how to describe that. You just pronounce a k, then a t. I mean, those are both consonants you can easily just pronounce on their own. I can hold a "k" sound easily for half a minute if necessary.

[kamikasei]

Uhm... "Kt"? No idea how to describe that. You just pronounce a k, then a t.
See, to me that sounds like "kuh-tuh" or "kih-tih". After all, when reciting the alphabet you don't say "K", "T", you say "kay, tee".

I mean, those are both consonants you can easily just pronounce on their own. I can hold a "k" sound easily for half a minute if necessary.
:smallconfused:

Yeah okay at this point I'm just going to peg you as a Deep One because that does not sound like human phonics.

[Emperor Ing]

I pronounce it "Kaa-Thuu-Luu"

Same here. Took me a while before I could actually spell it though. :smalltongue:

[Eldan]

See, to me that sounds like "kuh-tuh" or "kih-tih". After all, when reciting the alphabet you don't say "K", "T", you say "kay, tee".

:smallconfused:

Yeah okay at this point I'm just going to peg you as a Deep One because that does not sound like human phonics.

Wha, really? "k" is a totally normal human sound.

[kamikasei]

Wha, really? "k" is a totally normal human sound.
Made by interrupting the flow of air through your mouth. You can't continually interrupt it, and the uninterrupted flow constitutes a vowel sound. At least, such is my understanding. I can't imagine how you could make a "k" sound on its own for thirty seconds, unless you mean a death-rattle "k-k-k-k-k" where each "-" is a neutral vowel.

[Starbuck_II]

Uhm... "Kt"? No idea how to describe that. You just pronounce a k, then a t. I mean, those are both consonants you can easily just pronounce on their own. I can hold a "k" sound easily for half a minute if necessary.

Like "K-tah"? That requires an "a" though

So "Kat-ooh-lu"?

Not Kat like in cat, say it really fast anhd it sounds like "kt" no "ah' used and sounds a little gruttal.
Although don't practice too much you'll make the time right.

[Eldan]

Made by interrupting the flow of air through your mouth. You can't continually interrupt it, and the uninterrupted flow constitutes a vowel sound. At least, such is my understanding. I can't imagine how you could make a "k" sound on its own for thirty seconds, unless you mean a death-rattle "k-k-k-k-k" where each "-" is a neutral vowel.

Not really, no. It's just one long, continuous sound from somewhere down the throat. Pretty common one too, in Swiss German.

[kamikasei]

That doesn't sound like anything I've ever seen labelled as a k. I'll have to go on a Wikipedia binge later on when I can play sound files, for the sake of my own curiosity.

[Abies]

Maybe he's refering to a 'soft k' sound, like a 'soft c' or 'hard s'.

But no, by IPA pronunciation there is no true "K" sound that can be held as suggested. Examples of the use of this sound in a word would be appreciatted.

As for how Cthulhu is correctly pronounced? Did you see that scene where Cartman was on the belly of the beast, gave his name and asked Cthulhu's in return? The sound made is how the name is correctly "pronounced", though for some reason I suspect there were some constituents of the "sound" that puny mortals are not equipped to comprehend or even sense.

I'm of the opinion that in the absesce of a true authority who can or is willing to give a definitive answer, so long as others know what you're talking about you're saying it right.

[Eldan]

Hmm. English words seem to lack it mostly. Guess that's just my accent, then. I can type up a few words of local dialect, but I doubt that would help anyone.

Edit: perhaps this helps, from the Wikipedia article. I'm not sure, I don't actually understand all of it.



Like all Southern German dialects, Swiss German dialects have no voiced obstruents. However, they have an opposition of consonant pairs such as [t] and [d] or [p] and [b]. Traditionally, that distinction is said to be a distinction of fortis and lenis, though it has been claimed to be a distinction of quantity.[2]

Swiss German /p, t, k/ are not aspirated. Aspirated [pʰ, tʰ, kʰ] have (in most dialects) secondarily developed by contractions or by borrowings from other languages (mainly standard German), e.g., /ˈphaltə/ 'keep' (standard German behalten [bəˈhaltn̩]); /ˈtheː/ 'tea' (standard German Tee [ˈtʰeː]); /ˈkhalt/ 'salary' (standard German Gehalt [ɡəˈhalt]).

In the dialects of Basel and Chur, aspirated /k/ is also present in native words.

Unlike Standard German, Swiss German /x/ does not have the allophone [ç], but is always [x], or in many dialects even [χ]. The typical Swiss shibboleth features this sound: Chuchichäschtli ('kitchen cupboard'), pronounced [ˈχuχːiˌχæʃtli].

[Zen Monkey]

Like many of Lovecraft's works, the pronunciation is indescribable. Indescribable, I say! The mere thought of someone uttering that terrible name would drive you mad and cause you to see impossible colors and shapes! Mad!

Hmm, it seems there is a fine line between letting the audience fill in the details and lazy writing.

[kamikasei]

Edit: perhaps this helps, from the Wikipedia article. I'm not sure, I don't actually understand all of it.
Yeah. The way Wikipedia phonetics articles are written is the reason I said I'd have to wait until I could listen to sound files :P

[WalkingTarget]

It's kind of tricky to do kt without something like a vowel between them as both are stops and so there's necessarily a period after the k is released, so air is moving again without another real sound happening, followed by airflow being cut off again for the t. That brief aspiration gets labeled as a vowel by a lot of people. It's like in the Discworld book Pyramids how nobody could pronounce Pteppic correctly (either inserting a vowel between the p and t or just dropping the p entirely - same thing with real-world Ptolemy, really).

However, kth is easier (and is how I pronounce Cthulhu anyway - [kθulu] sometimes I drop in a hint of h in after the l, though).

Edit - the kuh-THOO-loo thing is noted as being "the easiest, though not the best way to say it" right at the beginning of the Call of Cthulhu rulebook, so that probably goes a long way towards spreading that pronunciation around.

[Eldan]

Apparently, digging out phonetics from Wikipedia, I pronounce it χthulhu.

[Morph Bark]

Apparently, digging out phonetics from Wikipedia, I pronounce it χthulhu.

With a Greek chi right? That's prettymuch how I pronounce it as-written, though the chi a bit harder than traditional Greek does perhaps.

[kamikasei]

Okay, I can see how you'd sustain that, though I still don't see how you'd transition to the -th- without something vowelish in between. If I tried, I think the -th- would end up being elided.

With a Greek chi right? That's prettymuch how I pronounce it as-written, though the chi a bit harder than traditional Greek does perhaps.
According to Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA), it's like "Don Juan".

[TheEmerged]

It *has* to be a three-syllable pronunciation, or the following parody doesn't work...

*clears throat

The most frightening sound I ever heard:
Cthulhu, Cthulhu, Cthulhu, Cthulhu . . .
All the unholy sounds of the world in a single word . .
Cthulhu, Cthulhu, Cthulhu, Cthulhu . . .
Cthulhu!
I've just heard the call of Cthulhu,
I greet each morn with screams
For he shows his will in dreams
To me.
Cthulhu!
I've just heard the call of Cthulhu,
And suddenly I've found
How frightening a sound
Can be!
Cthulhu!
Say it loud and see cities falling,
Say it soft and feel the tentacles crawling.

Cthulhu,
I've just heard the call of Cthulhu!

The most unholy sound I ever heard.
Cthulhu.


(*paraphrased from something I read on the net years ago*)

[valadil]

I find ka-THOO-loo easiest to pronounce. I've also used kit-HOO-loo.

I blame Metallica for some of the confusion since they spelled it differently in "Call of Ktulu" on Ride the Lightning. No idea why they spell it that way (maybe it was foreshadowing for their respect for copyright law), but having encountered that spelling first, I initially preferred a t sound over th. Maybe Stone and Parker made the same mistake.

[Dr.Epic]

I blame Metallica for some of the confusion since they spelled it differently in "Call of Ktulu" on Ride the Lightning. No idea why they spell it that way (maybe it was foreshadowing for their respect for copyright law), but having encountered that spelling first, I initially preferred a t sound over th. Maybe Stone and Parker made the same mistake.

But one character in the show actually pronounces it with the "th" sound.

[valadil]

But one character in the show actually pronounces it with the "th" sound.

TBH I think South Park is sloppy enough that that may just have been an accident or an oversight. They write and film each episode in about a week (as opposed to 8 months for an episode of The Simpsons). I hope they explain it in the following episodes, but I'm not counting on it.

[Dr.Epic]

TBH I think South Park is sloppy enough that that may just have been an accident or an oversight. They write and film each episode in about a week (as opposed to 8 months for an episode of The Simpsons). I hope they explain it in the following episodes, but I'm not counting on it.

Doubt it. It does seem like something that they could have easily checked and fixed. I know it's minor, but it's one of those thing I find annoying.

[Fawkes]

It's possibly that the writer's couldn't agree on the pronunciation, and just let the voice actors say it however felt natural.

I don't really think it's a big deal how they say it. It's supposed to be an unpronounceable word.

[CrimsonAngel]

I think it is Ka-thoo-loo.

[Starbuck_II]

I agree 3 sylable due to song:
Cthulhu F'thagn
what a wonderful phrase
Cthulhu F'thagn
Ain't no passin' craaaaaaze
IT MEANS NO WORRIES
for the rest of your days!
it's our problem free
philosophy! Cthulhu F'thagn!

[The Glyphstone]

Min-yon. Sometimes Lah-Kee.:smallbiggrin:Kuh-thoo-loo.

[Rockphed]

Min-yon. Sometimes Lah-Kee.:smallbiggrin:Kuh-thoo-loo.

How about Djinn-year.

I can feel my gut experiencing non-euclidean geometry.

Actually, I say it using the C from Cylon or Cyborg. Then I use the Th from then. Then I use the U from flu. Then I just say "loo".

[Dr.Epic]

I don't really think it's a big deal how they say it. It's supposed to be an unpronounceable word.

Well, there better not be an Aza-"tot" in the next episode.:smallannoyed:

[Eldan]

Well, there better not be an Aza-"tot" in the next episode.:smallannoyed:

And why not? After all, I always thought he'd be pronounced like Thoth (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thoth)

[Loki_42]

I noticed that everyone in the episode pronounced it "Ka-Too-Loo" except for one person - the cult leader. When he first showed up, he pronounced it "Ka-Thoo-Loo," which is the proper* way according to the H. P. Lovecraft Historical Society and Chaosium Games, who produce the Cthulhu roleplaying games. I had actually been annoyed up until that point about the way they were saying it, but that scene made me crack up, even if they didn't mean for him to get it right.





*Actually, they say that its not the "proper" way since there are tons of ways to say it, some more right than others, but the "official" and generally accepted way is Ka-Thoo-Loo.

I actually think that might have been on purpose, I mean it's not like South Park has a very large voice cast.

[Dr.Epic]

And why not? After all, I always thought he'd be pronounced like Thoth (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thoth)

I was making a joke that Azathoth shouldn't be pronounced like Aza-"tot".

[Eldan]

I don't get the joke, then.

[Dr.Epic]

I don't get the joke, then.

I thought the quotes made it clear, though maybe a like to Azathoth's wiki page would have helped.

[Gensh]

I used to pronounce it ka-thoo-loo, but recently, I've been saying (k)thoo-lhoo, like a death wheeze. Metallica is the reason why the t is occasionally pronounced hard.

[Eldan]

Nope. I even read the wiki page now. I'm absolutely puzzled and have no idea what you mean.

[kamikasei]

Nope. I even read the wiki page now. I'm absolutely puzzled and have no idea what you mean.
I think it may be (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thoth#cite_note-0) that both "th.o.th" and "t.o.t" are valid pronunciations and you already use the latter.

[Winter_Wolf]

I think the intention, from the way HPL described it, is that it's kind of the sound one might make if their throat was suddenly torn out. Lovely though, innit.

[felinoel]

Odd, I just assumed it was for humor? I pronounce it as I was introduced it to be pronounced as, kah-thoo-loo

Though this is obviously a very bad representation of Cthulu, take a look at this video showing how large he is compared to Cartman, Cthulu is way too tiny.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9sKeeO9h7o

[Ravens_cry]

I pronounce it Keh-thoo-loo, 'th' as in thin. Is that right? Who cares, even the spelling is pretty all over the place, even in Lovecrafts work. I am guessing this was supposed to imply that we are not exactly pronouncing his name but merely a shadow of his name; the actual name being unpronounceable by human tongues. And even if we could, it would, like everything else, drive us mad, MAD!

[Mauve Shirt]

I pronounce it kuh-thoo-loo. "kuh" is really short.

[Spiryt]

I pronounce it ta"CT H"omer "ool ooo".

Just because. :smallcool:

[RebelRogue]

I blame Metallica for some of the confusion since they spelled it differently in "Call of Ktulu" on Ride the Lightning. No idea why they spell it that way (maybe it was foreshadowing for their respect for copyright law), but having encountered that spelling first, I initially preferred a t sound over th. Maybe Stone and Parker made the same mistake.
It's stated, that Cthulhu has been spelled in various ways throughout history by various cults, like Tulu or Tutu. It's implied, that the spelling Cthulhu is not 'correct' but only the best approximation the latin alphabet can reproduce. There's is no "right" way of spelling or pronunciation that makes sense to a human being, essentially.

[Teron]

If I remember correctly, I once read in a letter or some such written by Lovecraft that it's pronounced approximately like "Klooloo" with your tongue stuck to your palate.

For the sake of simplicity and recognisability, though, I usually pronounce it Kthooloo (two syllables).

[LightsOnNo1Home]

If I remember correctly, I once read in a letter or some such written by Lovecraft that it's pronounced approximately like "Klooloo" with your tongue stuck to your palate.

For the sake of simplicity and recognisability, though, I usually pronounce it Kthooloo (two syllables).

I've read that letter as well, but I can't find it now.

I was thinking I'd dreamt it until I saw your post :)

[WalkingTarget]

If I remember correctly, I once read in a letter or some such written by Lovecraft that it's pronounced approximately like "Klooloo" with your tongue stuck to your palate.

Oddly enough, "klooloo" is pretty much exactly how a friend's 4 year old daughter pronounced it when I gave her a plushie Cthulhu for her birthday.

[Lhurgyof]

Oh jeez.. today I forgot lovecraft's name, and R.L. Stein's name came to me. Then I thought what it'd be like if R. L. Stein had written the Cthulhian mythos.

"Julie and the Non-Euclidean Horror"
"The Children that Chanted 'Yog Sothoth'"
"Oh God, Jimmy Can See Forever"

[FoE]

Don't most of the Goosebumps books end with the main character managing to escape some PG-13 monster and then the ending reveals that the creature actually got them or a loved one?

So, basically like Lovecraft's stories, but with less emphasis on word count and blatant racism.

I always pronounced it "Keth-thoo-loo" myself, drawing out the last two syllables.

[Amiel]

I think it was said that pronouncing Cthulhu was akin to swallowing your own tongue and then regurgitating it up in bits and pieces :smalleek:

[dgnslyr]

Mortal vocal cords have insufficient dimensions to properly express the name of everybody's favorite Eldritch Abomination.

Personally, I go with kuh-thoo-loo.

[Avilan the Grey]

How about "ink-for-brains?" :smallcool:

[NeoRetribution]

"What?"

"I said, "Cthulhu!""

"Oh. Gesundheit."

[Starbuck_II]

Don't most of the Goosebumps books end with the main character managing to escape some PG-13 monster and then the ending reveals that the creature actually got them or a loved one?

So, basically like Lovecraft's stories, but with less emphasis on word count and blatant racism.

I always pronounced it "Keth-thoo-loo" myself, drawing out the last two syllables.

Depends: Camp Monster you find out the main characters are monsters not humans at the end. It was a training exercise for when they come to earth.

[hamishspence]

"What?"

"I said, "Cthulhu!""

"Oh. Gesundheit."



It's been said:


Might sound almost like a cross between a cough and a sneeze?

"Kth-ulu"

[NeoRetribution]

Mine was an actual conversation that I participated in. So, yes, it was said.

[Kato]

Well part from the fact of it being the mere reduction of something unpronouncable which would probably make your head explode and your intestines boil, I always went with something like K-too-loo.

[Dread Cthulhu]

I've always said it as in here. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XxScTbIUvoA)

[Lhurgyof]

It's weird, when I say its name by itself, I pronounce it Ka thu lu, but if I'm saying it as part of a phrase, I say it Ka tu lu.

[Asheram]

I've always pronounced it K'thul-u...