How do you pronounce "Mul?"

[bunnynoah]

It's maddening at this point. Which is it?

Mull?

Or Mule?

[KillianHawkeye]

Here is a quote from the 4th Edition Dark Sun Campaign Setting:

The word "mul" is derived from the Dwarven term mul-zhennedar, which means "strength." Pronunciation varies throughout the Tyr region; the word can be pronounced as mool, mull, or mule, although this last variation is considered derogatory and might start a fight. Given the derivation of the name, sages who care about such matters regard mull as the most accurate pronunciation.

I have no idea how you came up with "mole", but a character could probably get away with saying it that way, too.

[bunnynoah]

Isn't "mole" and "mull" pronounced exactly the same though?

Anyways, thank you so much! I'm glad the common way of saying it was the one I've been using.

[Telonius]

Isn't "mole" and "mull" pronounced exactly the same though?

Depends on your dialect, I guess. I read "mole" as rhyming with "pole," but "mull" as rhyming with "dull."

[bunnynoah]

I read "ole" "ull" "oll" sounds as the same. It works, and that's what matters.

[Dimers]

Well, that's certainly something to mull over.

Asking neither sarcastically nor nastily -- do you pronouce "Oh" and "Uh" the same too? That's the same difference of vowel sounds, but those two interjections get used in very different situations.

[bunnynoah]

In a neither sarcastically nor nastily way, no I do not.

[sktarq]

Mul - Like Mull - Rhymes with gull (like the bird)

[Kyberwulf]

If you read them all the same. Then it really doesn't matter how you say them

[Mastikator]

I would pronounce it as "mul". It rhymes with "yule", as in "yule log".

[Xuc Xac]

Here is a quote from the 4th Edition Dark Sun Campaign Setting:

Translation:
The word "mul" is derived from the word "mule", because they're hybrids. Pronunciation varied throughout the group of playtesters because some players didn't catch the reference or deliberately tried to obscure it; the word can be pronounced as mool, mull, or mule, although this last variation is considered a bit too on the nose and should be avoided. Given the obviously uncreative derivation of the name, the authors wish you'd go with "mull" to match the spelling and deflect a bit from the "mule" thing.

[Knaight]

I'd be inclined to go with a "mool" pronunciation, but as long as the local group is all on the same page you're good.

EDIT: Mool as in "pool" not "wool".

[Necroticplague]

I always assumed it was pronounced "mule", since they are similar in nature to them, I assume it was an intentional reference (hybrids known for hybrid vigor). But, on it's own, it looks like it should be pronounced 'mull' (rhymes with 'null').

[Kane0]

For some reason I can't explain i've always pronounced it 'mool', as in wool with an M.

Probably just to annoy my english teacher mate.

[lunaticfringe]

Always mull as in dull.

[Asha Leu]

I've always pronounced it as rhyming with "pull", but I haven't the faintest idea if that's correct or not.

But with pronouncing anything in D&D, I've always held that the correct pronunciation is whatever the DM says it is. And when you are the DM, the important thing is to just pick a pronunciation, remember it and stick with it. It gets on my nerves when you're playing a game, usually a published adventure, where the DM stumbles through each tongue-twister name as if they're reading it for the first time.

[Inevitability]

I think of it as 'muhl'.

[Arkhios]

I believe it's supposed to be pronounced like pull.

[Talakeal]

One of my friends pronounced it mole.

He was telling me about his character and before I could figure out what he was talking about I started to imagine him as playing Hans Moleman from The Simpsons and that image remained cemented in my mind formthe rest of the campaign.

I always said it like Mull for the record.

[Bohandas]

Depends on your dialect, I guess. I read "mole" as rhyming with "pole," but "mull" as rhyming with "dull."

Where are you from? To me they all rhyme

[bunnynoah]

Where are you from? To me they all rhyme

Finally, someone who understands!

[Cealocanth]

For some reason I can't explain i've always pronounced it 'mool', as in wool with an M.

Probably just to annoy my english teacher mate.

That's odd. Wool rhymes with pull in my dialect. Kind of curious if it does the same in yours.

But yeah, I pronounce it like either of the above words.

[bunnynoah]

That's odd. Wool rhymes with pull in my dialect. Kind of curious if it does the same in yours.

But yeah, I pronounce it like either of the above words.

It does, and I do as well.

[Anonymouswizard]

Oh god, this is worse than all the discussions on if drow rhymes with 'bow' or 'bow'.

I tend to pronounce it 'mule' because I see no reason to obscure the obvious influence.

On the other hand I see legitimate reasons to pronounce it 'mull', it's what I'd do if I didn't get the reference, and would even except 'mool' (rhyming with 'pool' and not 'wool' because those are slightly different). Mole makes no sense to me, I don't know any words where a u makes a short o sound (although do know some where it makes something like a long o).

For the record, 'mule', 'mull', and 'mool' all sound different to me and none rhyme. I speak British English (actually in some ways I speak pseudo-RP), so people speaking less refined dialects may disagree with me on the pronunciation and whether this statement is sarcasm.

But with pronouncing anything in D&D, I've always held that the correct pronunciation is whatever the DM says it is. And when you are the DM, the important thing is to just pick a pronunciation, remember it and stick with it. It gets on my nerves when you're playing a game, usually a published adventure, where the DM stumbles through each tongue-twister name as if they're reading it for the first time.

This is a big thing. I own Keltia and I'm not a Welsh (or even Irish Gaelic) speaker, so if I run it during the game I'm going to be mispronouncing a lot of names because I don't want to waste brain power getting every word pronounced correctly when I could be running the game. But if a player wanted to go to the trouble they can be my guest as long as it doesn't get confusing.

[bunnynoah]

But which is it? Dro or Drau?

(Sorry, I never ment this discussion to get this out of hand. I was serious in the beginning)

[Xuc Xac]

But which is it? Dro or Drau?

It's more like "drew". It's the Scots version of "troll" (back when "dwarf", "elf", and "troll" were all just generic fairy tale creatures instead of specific fantasy races).

http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/drow_n3

[Necroticplague]

I always pronounced "drow" as rhyming with "now".

[Anonymouswizard]

(back when "dwarf", "elf", and "troll" were all just generic fairy tale creatures instead of specific fantasy races)

You forgot 'goblin' and 'fairy'.

(heck, I have an Urban Fantasy setting where 'goblin' means 'any magical being of low power' and 'elf' means 'any magical being of high power'. Some creatures are really annoyed because human wizards are goblins, but due to drawing power from technology they shoot up to powerful elves in cities. I wanted to justify wizards living in cities, and decided technology=magic would be fun and subvert expectations)

[bunnynoah]

Oh, ok. I also said it like ow as in "row your boat", but I thought I remember reading it sounding like ou as in "ouch" or "drown" without the "n"

[Asha Leu]

I pronounce Drow like "Cow", Duergar as "Droo-gar"*, and Svirfneblin as "Deep Gnome".


* Yeah, I realise that pronunciation doesn't really jive with how its actually spelt , but it just sounds so much better than "Dweer-gar" or "Dyoo-gar" or "Derr-gar" or whatever. I've been tempted for a while to just change the spelling itself in my games to "Druegar."