Update, 11.3.2025: I used to teach y through u, but thanks to phonetician Päivi Virkkunen I realised a few years ago that that isn’t the best way, the best way is through y, and now I’ve finally updated this post to reflect that. I hope this is helpful!
This meme from the delightful Very Finnish Problems has been making the rounds in my social media feed lately:
Every time I see it I’m consumed by an urge to help that poor cat. I don’t know this particular cat and don’t know how to reach it, so I’ve decided to help you instead.
The Finnish y is actually not that difficult for speakers of most languages, it just needs a bit of attention and a bit of practice and feedback – ideally from a trained teacher, but in a pinch any Finnish speaker will do – before it starts coming naturally.
Let’s look at the cat’s mouth more closely:
You’ll notice the cat’s tongue is out of his mouth. This will not help you pronounce y. Your tongue must be inside your mouth! Otherwise the cat does have the right idea. Let’s do this.
Start by saying i, like in the Finnish word iso ‘big’. In English you can find a very similar sound in most words that have two e’s, like cheese, feed and greed.
To go from i to y, simply round your lips. But do not make the mistake the cat made, keep that tongue inside your mouth!
For those of you who prefer watching a video to reading instructions, here’s a lesson with Päivi Virkkunen from Ääntämisklinikka of how to pronounce y! Make sure to turn the subtitles on, the lesson should be easier to follow that way.
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