Not a Hobbit Forum Untill...

[Finmandos12]

The reason orcs are called goblins in the Hobbit is that it was more of a children's tale ( such as the story of Golfimbul).

[bombcar]

It could be summed up this way: In LotR, there is no effective difference, because Tolkien has decied to use 'orc' as his word for translation.

In the hobbit however, it seems that 'orc' is only to be use for really massive goblins, hinting that goblin would be a diminutive form of 'orc', perhaps all that is left nowadays of the mighty race of orcs are punky goblins.

"A bit low for goblins, at least for the big ones," thought Bilbo, not knowing that even the big ones, the orcs of the mountains, go along at a great speed stooping low with their hands almost on the ground.

[galadriel]

I think "goblin" is a more common, slang word for orc. You hear hobbits using the word goblin a lot more often than, say, elves (in LOTR, anyway. I haven't read the Hobbit in years and really need to reread it!)

[Eowyn, The Lioness]

I think goblins are just a different form of orc. Kinda like....midgets. They're just deformed humans, not a different species.

[Ñólendil]

Just so you know, the 'politically correct' term is simply 'little people'. I imagine such persons would be offended by the term 'deformed', as others should be, though I realize you don't actually mean anything ill by it.

But Orcs and Goblins do not even differ in size (despite the passage in the Hobbit which may seem to imply this), for those are simply two different names for the same thing.