Languages in Middle-earth for 5e

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Choose from these options when selecting language proficiencies for characters.

Languages created in other non-canonical materials are not included here. Some languages, such as Easterling and Orkish, are actually very broad categories of languages, but are regarded as a single language with dialects for simplicity.

Note on Druidic: The Player's Handbook starts druids with proficiency in the Druidic language. If Druidic does not exist in your Middle-earth setting then consider substituting Animal Speech (a specific animal type). See the Animal Speech entry in Exotic Languages below.

Standard languages

These are the languages commonly spoken in the Third Age of Middle-earth.

Language	Spoken by	Writing system	Notes
Dalish	Northmen (Dale)	Cirth runes	The Language of Dale used widely across northern Wilderland. Speakers of Dalish can read and understand basic concepts in Rohan.
Dunlendish	Dunlendings	None
Easterling dialects	Easterlings	Various	Wainrider dialect, Bachoth dialect, Variag dialect, and others. Speakers of one dialect can read and understand basic concepts in other Easterling dialects.
Haradrim dialects	Haradrim	Unique	Speakers of a Haradrim dialect can read and understand basic concepts in other Haradrim dialects.
Orkish dialect	Orcs	Unique	Speakers of an Orkish dialect can read and understand basic concepts in other Orkish dialects.
Rohan	Rohirrim	Cirth runes	Speakers of Rohan can read and understand basic concepts in Dalish.
Sindarin	Elves in Middle-earth	Tengwar script or Cirth runes	The lingua franca for all elves and their friends.
Sindarin (Gondor)	Gondorians	Tengwar script or Cirth runes	Speakers of Sindarin (Gondor) can read and understand basic Sindarin.
Westron	Western peoples	Cirth runes or Tengwar script	Also known as Common Speech. Speakers of Westron can read and understand basic Adûnaic, and can read and understand all but the most arcane Westron (Hobbitish).
Westron (Hobbitish)	Hobbits	Cirth runes or Tengwar script	By the Third Age Hobbitish is simply a dialect of Westron. Speakers of Westron (Hobbitish) can read and understand all but the most arcane Westron, and can understand a few simple Rohan words.

Exotic languages

These are the languages uncommonly spoken in the Third Age of Middle-earth, usually only within a closed society.

Language	Spoken by	Writing system	Notes
Adûnaic	Black Númenóreans, Dúnedain	Tengwar script	Speakers of Adûnaic can read and understand basic Westron.
Avarin dialects	Dark Elves (Avari)	Various	When choosing a proficiency in this language, choose one of these dialect groups: West Avarin, East Avarin, North Avarin. Speakers of a dialect in one of these groups can read and understand basic concepts in other dialects of the same group.
Black Speech	Servants of Sauron	Tengwar script	Speakers of Black Speech can read basic Valarin.
Drúadan	Drúedain (Woses)	None
Iglishmêk	Dwarves	None	Iglishmêk is a handsign language known only to Dwarves.
Khuzdul	Dwarves	Cirth runes	The secretive language of the Dwarves; they do not speak it in the presence of non-Dwarves nor inscribe it on their monuments. Only Dwarves may choose to learn this language.
Lossoth	Lossoth	Unknown
Quenya (Noldorin)	Noldor Elves	Tengwar script, or older Sarati (rarely)	Formal language and for scholarly writing. Not used conversationally. Speakers of Quenya (Noldorin) can read and understand basic concepts in other Quenya dialects and in New Entish.
Ranger-Runes	Dúnedain	Unique	A primitive writing system used by the Dúnedain Rangers of the North to communicate basic ideas to each other.
Silvan Elvish	Silvan Elves	Tengwar script	Also known as the "woodland tongue", Silvan Elvish is rare and mostly unused. Speakers of Silvan Elvish can understand and read Sindarin.
Underworld-Runes	Burglars, Rogues, Treasure-seekers, and other Unsavory Folk	Unique	A primitive writing system used by the underworld to communicate basic ideas to each other. (This is how Gandalf indicated to Thorin's company the house of Bilbo Baggins.)

Rare languages

These are the languages rarely spoken in the Third Age of Middle-earth. Proficiency in these languages is not generally available for player characters to select. Rare languages should be discussed with the dungeonmaster before selecting them for proficiency.

Some of these languages are not used by any race in Middle-earth in the Third Age, but they are included here as arcane languages that may exist in written form somewhere among the antiquities in Middle-earth.

Language	Spoken by	Notes
Animal speech	Various beasts	This is a large category that includes many specific animal languages. When used the beast type must be specified. For example, Animal Speech (bird), Animal Speech (rodent), or Animal Speech (equine).
Old Entish	Ents	Old Entish is only pronounceable by Entish physiology. This language is spoken only; it has no writing system.
New Entish	Ents	New Entish is spoken only; it has no writing system.
Telerin	Falmari Elves (none dwell in Middle Earth)	Speakers of Telerin can read and understand basic concepts in other Quenya dialects and in Sindarin.
Quenya (Vanyarin)	Vanyar Elves (none dwell in Middle-earth)	Speakers of Quenya (Vanyarin) can read and understand basic concepts in other Quenya dialects.
Valarin	Valar and Maiar
Warg-language	Wargs	A primitive language with limited expressiveness.