How to Say Moon in Elvish

Direct answer: Moon in Sindarin is Ithil (ITH-il). In Quenya, it is Isil (IH-sil) or Rána (RAH-nah — "the Wanderer"). These are some of the most frequently used words in Tolkien's place names and poetry.

---

Sindarin: Ithil

Ithil is the Sindarin word for moon. It appears throughout Middle-earth's geography and history.

Pronunciation: ITH-il (the th is soft, as in "thin")
Root: THIL- — to shine with silver light

Where Ithil Appears in Tolkien

Minas Ithil — "Tower of the Moon." The great fortress of Gondor built by Isildur on the western slopes of the Ephel Dúath. When Sauron's forces captured it in the Third Age, they renamed it Minas Morgul — "Tower of Dark Sorcery."

Ithilien — "Land of the Moon." The forested region of Gondor east of the Anduin, where Faramir commands his Rangers. It keeps its Elvish name throughout the War of the Ring — a reminder of what Gondor was built to protect.

Ithildin — "Moon-star" or "starlight." The silver substance used to inscribe the Doors of Moria. It is visible only in starlight and moonlight — which is why the inscription on the Doors of Moria is invisible until the moon rises behind Gandalf's staff.

Ennyn Durin Aran Moria — "The Doors of Durin, Lord of Moria"

The inscription appears in ithildin. The moon makes it visible. The doors respond only when someone speaks the password — mellon (friend).

---

Quenya: Isil

Isil is the High Elvish name for the moon, used in formal, poetic, and historical contexts.

Pronunciation: IH-sil
Root: SIL- — silver shining, white radiance

Isil and the Silmarils

The root SIL- connects Isil (moon) to the Silmarils — the three jewels that Fëanor crafted to contain the light of the Two Trees of Valinor. The moon itself, in Tolkien's mythology, was made from the last flower of Telperion — the Silver Tree. This is why the moon shines with cool silver light rather than warm gold: it carries the light of a tree, not a star.

Isildur — Son of the Moon

The name Isildur — Aragorn's ancestor and the man who cut the One Ring from Sauron's hand — contains Isil- (moon). His name means "devoted to the moon" or "moon-servant." His brother was named Anárion — from Anar (sun). The brothers were named for the two great lights, a fitting pair for the co-founders of Gondor.

---

Quenya: Rána — The Wanderer

Rána is a poetic Quenya name for the moon, meaning "the Wayward" or "the Wandering One."

Pronunciation: RAH-nah
Meaning: The wanderer, the one who strays

The Elves observed that the moon does not follow a fixed path across the sky — unlike the sun, which rises and sets predictably. The moon wanders: it rises at different times, appears in different phases, sometimes rises before sunset and sets after sunrise. The Elvish name Rána captures this observation. The moon is a wanderer.

---

Moon-Related Elvish Vocabulary

English	Sindarin	Quenya
Moon	Ithil	Isil / Rána
Moonlight	Calith	Silmë
Moonrise	Orthad Ithil	Ortírë Isil
Full moon	Ithil pân	Isil quanta
New moon	Ithil minui	Isil minya
Crescent moon	Ithil ranc	Isil rancë
Under the moon	Nu Ithil	Nu Isil
Moonlit night	Dû ithilui	Lómë isilwa

---

Example Phrases

"The moon is beautiful tonight"
Sindarin: Ithil na bain i·dhû si — Moon is beautiful the night this
Quenya: Isil vanima ná sí lómessë — Moon beautiful is this night-in

"Under the moon and stars"
Sindarin: Nu Ithil ar elenath — Under moon and stars
Quenya: Nu Isil ar eleni — Under moon and stars

"The moon rises"
Sindarin: Ithil orthon — Moon rises
Quenya: Isil ortírë — Moon rises/watches from above

---

The Moon in Elvish Names

Many Elvish names contain the moon root:

• Ithilwen — "moon-maiden" (Sindarin feminine name)
• Isildur — "devoted to the moon" (Quenya)
• Minas Ithil — "Tower of the Moon" (Sindarin place name)
• Ithilien — "Land of the Moon" (Sindarin region)
• Ithildin — "moon-star," the substance on the Doors of Moria

---

Write Moon in Tengwar

To see Ithil or Isil rendered in the Elvish script — the same letters Tolkien used in his manuscripts — use our Tengwar Name Generator. Enter any moon-related Elvish word or your own name, and receive it in authentic Tengwar with a letter-by-letter breakdown.

Render Ithil in Tengwar →