Question: are the goblins in the hobbit orcs?
Answer: The term goblin was used primarily in The Hobbit but also in The Lord of the Rings where it is used synonymously with "Orc". "Goblin" is an English word, whereas "Orc" is Old English, the language used by Tolkien to represent Rohirric. Thus, there is no difference between Orcs and Goblins.