@Wizards_DnD @JeremyECrawford My friends and I are having a debate. Is Tiefling pronounced TIE-fling or TEA-fling? #thebigquestions #DnD #dungeonsanddragons
— Brent Pisarek (@BrentPisarek) May 12, 2020
I pronounce "tiefling" as "TEA-fling."
If you prefer your tieflings to lead with a tie instead of tea, the pronunciation police aren't going to stop you. #DnD https://t.co/AQlRGxpQrZ
— Jeremy Crawford (@JeremyECrawford) May 12, 2020
In my mind, Tiefling always rhymed with “Thiefling”.
Which in turn might suggest something to the curious observer: that -ling construction has an actual meaning which crops up in other similar words.
Consider “earthling” and “changeling”. An earthling is a child of earth. A changeling (in its original mythical form) is a child that has been swapped out by the fae. So what’s a tiefling?
Well, “tief” is a German word that means “deep”. Tieflings are children of “the depths” – offspring of the inhabitants of the Lower Planes. When a mortal race has fiendish “blood” introduced, you get tieflings.
Knowing this, the original intended pronunciation becomes clear: tief + ling, pronounced as it would be in German. Which rhymes with “Thiefling”.
Obviously, if you prefer your own pronunciation, go nuts. But if you’re unsure which you prefer and are looking for a reason to pick one over the other, perhaps the “official” pronunciation given to the race by Wolfgang Baur, the fellow who designed them, makes a compelling argument.