"There is never a dull day when it comes to Harry Potter." —me
Always one to let her fans feel included in her magical world, J.K. Rowling dropped some Harry Potter knowledge on her loyal Twitter followers after a fan tweeted about the pronunciation of Voldemort's name.
@Universe_Box One piece of Harry Potter trivia I always forget to mention: the "t" is silent in Voldemort, according to @jk_rowling.
Yup, according to our magical mother, it's pronounced "Voldemor," not "Voldemort"...even if she's the only one who says it like that.
... but I'm pretty sure I'm the only person who pronounces it that way. https://t.co/HxhJ5XY5HP
For some fans, this news might be completely and utterly shocking, because WHAT?!
@jk_rowling @mhenrylucero @Universe_Box I've pronounced it with a T all my life. I am so sorry, Jo.
@jk_rowling @mhenrylucero @Universe_Box @atkins_erin WHAT? THIS CHANGES EVERYTHING
@jk_rowling WHAT??? I'VE BEEN WRONG ALL MY LIFE??
@jk_rowling my life has been a lie
For others, this might just be a pleasant reminder that "mort" means "dead" in French and that all of this makes complete sense.
@jk_rowling @mhenrylucero @Universe_Box don't worry all French people pronounce it that way!
@jk_rowling Nope, we French say it with a silent "t" too! #FrenchPeopleAlwaysKnow (well, almost)
And for some, they might be like, "But, wait, the movies definitely pronounce the 'T.'"
@ardit_haliti @jk_rowling THEN WHY, WHEN SHE HAD INPUT IN THE MOVIES, MAKE EVERYONE SAY IT WRONGGGGGG??
@jk_rowling why didn't you have them do it that way for the movies ?!
@jk_rowling Didn’t you tell any of the film directors that?
And then others might rebuttal and be like, "Well, Jim Dale drops the 'T' in some of the audiobooks."
@jk_rowling You and the wonderful Jim Dale (in the first two, anyway).
@jk_rowling Jim Dale pronounces it that way in the first few audiobooks! Then he switches and says the t. I wondered which was right.
But in the end, you should probably just pronounce "Voldemort" however you want.
Because as long as we're not saying "You-Know-Who" or "He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named," we're taking away the power his name holds over us... and that means we're doing something right.
