[RPG] How does one pronounce THAC0

adnd-2epronunciationterminology

AD&D 2nd edition had a key number for each character called “To Hit Armor Class Zero”, abbreviated “THAC0”. Back when this was the current edition, my friends and I argued over whether it should be pronounced thake-oh or thack-oh (whether the ‘A’ in the middle should be short or long), or maybe we were both wrong and it should be some other way.

Was there ever any official guidance from TSR, Wizards of the Coast, D&D creators, or some other official source as to how to pronounce this key term? Or does each playgroup just do their own thing?

Best Answer

Officially THAK-oh or THAKE-oh is acceptable

This D&D FAQ on the Wizards of the Coast Web site has a section entitled How Do You Pronounce...? that says

Here are some commonly mispronounced words and their dictionary pronunciations where they are available and common-practice pronunciations or TSR rulings where they not. For more general pronunciation help, see the article "Ay pronunseeAYshun gyd" by Frank Mentzer in Dragon #93 (Jan. 1985).

It has the following entry:

THAC0: either THAK-oh, or THAKE-oh

So you and your friends were both right.

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