What is the correct pronunciation of “Thoreau”? Is the emphasis on the first or the second syllable?
If you go to Concord today, you can hear people pronounce Thoreau’s name as he and his family almost certainly did–they put the accent on the first syllable, and the “o” is short, so it sounds like “thorough.” The current pronunciation in Thoreau’s hometown is significant: the community has remained essentially residential since Thoreau’s time, and the longtime residents are likely to have learned their pronunciation from those who learned it from those who knew the family. Another piece of evidence is the fact that one of Thoreau’s correspondents, Daniel Ricketson, sometimes addressed him in letters as “Mr. Thorough” or “Mr. Thoroughly Good,” apparently playing on the pronunciation as an indication of character.
