# Why is "Utrecht" pronounced /ˈy-/ instead of /ˈʏ-/?



## LoveVanPersie

The _u_ is followed by 2 consonants. Why is it pronounced /y/ rather than /ʏ/?


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## Red Arrow

The pronunciation of a long vowel depends on whether or not a syllable is open or closed. A written syllable, that is.

The non-existing, completely made-up word *difractie* is pronounced with /i/ like in fiets. Let's divide it into syllables: di - frac - tie

The existing word *diffractie* is pronounced with /ɪ/ like in rits. Let's divide it into syllables: dif - frac - tie


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## Red Arrow

If you have troubles dividing words into syllables, just remember that you have to put as much consonants in the next syllable as possible.
scherps - te => wrong, a syllable can start with st
scherp - ste
scher - pste => wrong, a syllable can't start with pst

zi - ngen => wrong, syllables can't start with the ng sound
zing - en

ut - recht => wrong, a syllable can start with tr
u - trecht

You are probably aware that short a, e, i, o and u (like in pad, pet, pit, pot, put) are not allowed in open syllables in written Dutch, so when those sounds do occur in open syllables, the next consonant is doubled, for instance "latten" and "diffractie". That extra consonant is not pronounced.

Exception to all of this: Any vowel before "ch" is short. For instance "lachen" is with a short a.
"goochelen" and "loochenen" are the exception to this exception, and are spelled with double o to make it clear. This is quite unusual: goo- and loo- are open syllables, yet spelled with double o!


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## LoveVanPersie

Red Arrow said:


> Exception to all of this: Any vowel before "ch" is short. For instance "lachen" is with a short a.


Is there any word starting with /x/ represented by "ch" or it's only the case of loanwords?

What about "th"? I have found the preceding vowels in some words are pronounced short vowels (_kathedraal_), in some are pronouced long ones (_mathematica_), in some both long and short ones are OK (_atheïst_, _pathologie_). 
And are _Mathijs_ and _Matthijs_ pronounced the same?


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## Red Arrow

Dutch words never start with /x/ besides some loanwords from Greek, so the spelling indeed makes sense. You could analyze lachen and goochelen as: lach - en, gooch - e - len
if you assume that syllables shouldn't start with ch.

It is common (especially in Flanders) to pronounce unstressed /a o e/ as /ɑ ɔ ə/.
You will definitely hear kathedraal, mathematica, atheïst and pathologie with short a, however, I think all of those words are with long a in Standard Dutch.

If Mathijs is Flemish, then his name is probably pronounced the same as Matthijs. If he is Dutch, then I am not so sure. I guess it should be with long a.


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## LoveVanPersie

Red Arrow said:


> Exception to all of this: Any vowel before "ch" is short. For instance "lachen" is with a short a.


Is the _i_ in _Michaël_ also /ɪ/? I came across an /i/ on Wikipedia.


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## Red Arrow

LoveVanPersie said:


> Is the _i_ in _Michaël_ also /ɪ/? I came across an /i/ on Wikipedia.


True, but that's a name of foreign origin. I was thinking of actual Dutch words such as "lachen".


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## LoveVanPersie

Sorry... Did you mean the IPA on WP is true?


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## Red Arrow

I didn't realize it was a question. I am not the right person to ask which names have /I/ and which have /i/.


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## LoveVanPersie

Thank you all the same!


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## LoveVanPersie

Red Arrow said:


> It is common (especially in Flanders) to pronounce unstressed /a o e/ as /ɑ ɔ ə/.


Do you include unstressed /aː, oː/ in /aːi̯/ and /oːi̯/?


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## Red Arrow

LoveVanPersie said:


> Do you include unstressed /aː, oː/ in /aːi̯/ and /oːi̯/?


No.


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## bamia

Red Arrow said:


> If Mathijs is Flemish, then his name is probably pronounced the same as Matthijs. If he is Dutch, then I am not so sure. I guess it should be with long a.



Matthijs and Mathijs are pronounced the same way here (Netherlands).


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